


Initium

by starseeker95



Series: A Ruler and His Scientist [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: And Wheeljack being a loving sire, Breeding, Chapter 4 is Graphic, I just need Star being sparked and stressed okay, M/M, Mech Preg, Mention of sparkling death, Miscarriage, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Spark Sexual Interfacing, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, graphic birth, not theirs!, warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-13 22:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14757356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starseeker95/pseuds/starseeker95
Summary: When Starscream finds out he's sparked, he doesn't expect to Wheeljack to be happy about it. As with all firstborns, these creators run into more than one complication...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I needed a warm up for my Rodimags fic. When it doubt, write Starjack! This got out of hand and is now multi-chaptered, so enjoy :)

This couldn’t be happening.

Starscream paced back and forth across the room, muttering and hissing at the walls, the floor, the ceiling.

He’d been agitated for cycles, hungry one moment and purging his tanks out the next. He’d felt invincible and vulnerable, repulsed and horny, and, sometimes all of those at once.

This couldn’t be happening.

The seeker flexed his wings before stalking back to swipe the spark test off of the nightstand. It was without a doubt positive… as were the other three he’d wasted and tossed to the floor.

Hissing and swearing, Starscream continued his erratic pacing throughout the berthroom. It was Wheeljack’s, that much was certain. The jet hadn’t been able to interface with anyone else due to the traumas he’d experienced during the war. The scientist was the only one he trusted, the only mech that Starscream had ever bared his spark too. Literally. And look where it had got him. 

“This can’t be happening.”

The seeker jumped when another voice answered him. “So when you gonna tell him?”

Starscream rounded on Bumblebee. “Slagging pit, don’t you even knock?” When Bumblebee went to answer that he couldn’t, the jet cut him off. “Never mind. And there’s nothing to tell! I can’t keep it anyway, so why bother?”

The look of horror on the yellow bot’s face would’ve been comical under any other circumstances. “Why can’t you keep it? Are you just going to…”

“Primus! I wouldn’t deactivate my own sparkling.”

“Then…?”

The red seeker’s wings abruptly drooped and he stopped his furious pacing. “Don’t you get it? There are bots who want to kill me. Can you imagine what they’d do if I had a sparkling? It would never be safe! And Wheeljack? He wouldn’t want a sparkling with me, he’s got a job to do. No time. Besides, what about-“

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Know what?”

“That Wheeljack wouldn’t want a sparkling with you.”

“Well, we never-”

“Talked about it? Then how do you know?”

Starscream looked away, fangs clenched. “I just know, alright? Megatron didn’t want one and Wheeljack wouldn’t either!”

Silence fell between them. Sadness showed plainly on Bumblbee’s face as he regarded the distressed, slumping seeker. “You really think Wheeljack is anything like Megatron?"

“I didn’t say that-“

“Then stop assuming that he would abandon you or hurt you because you got sparked.”

“It doesn’t matter. I have to get rid of it. He can’t ever know-“

A deeper voice then. “Who can’t know what?”

_How had he missed the door cuing open? ___

__Wheeljack stood there in the doorframe, leaning against it with his arms crossed. Even with his battle mask closed, he obviously wore a frown as he regarded his mate._ _

__Starscream’s vocalizer squeaked and he somehow managed to regain control over his lashing field. Conveniently, he noticed, Bumblebee had vanished into thin air, leaving him to deal with the speedster. Fantastic._ _

__The scientist straightened and advanced into the room, his field pricking around Starscream as he came closer. “Who can’t know what, Starscream?”_ _

__Before he could even conjure a lie to tell, the jet felt his tank roll. With a sharp hiccup, Starscream bolted around his mate and out into the main room._ _

__He barely made it in time to kick the door closed and purge into the wash racks. An undignified whine left the seeker as what little energon he had left pooled and made its way toward the drain._ _

__When he was finished, Starscream allowed himself to sink back slowly and lean against the back wall. His tanks continued to twist angrily in his chassis and another pathetic croak left the jet. This was ridiculous. He would never be able to hide that he was carrying if he couldn’t stop-_ _

__“-Star? Please let me in. Are you okay? Star, who-“_ _

__The exhausted flight frame allowed himself to sag more fully against the wall, even as it pinched his wings awkwardly. “I’m fine. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”_ _

__A long pause told Starscream that the scientist was setting in for the long haul. “Starscream, if you don’t tell me what’s goin’ on and why you’re trying to get rid of me, I’m gonna call a medic.”_ _

__Starscream knew that the threat was true. Wheeljack had been unusually protective lately, catering to his mate more so than usual and rarely letting Starscream out of his sight. Now that the seeker knew that he was sparked, the clinginess made sense. Without even realizing it, Wheeljack was already being effected by his sire protocols and the drive to protect his mate._ _

__What was he supposed to do? Starscream pulled his legs up to his chest as the white mech continued to knock and call from the outside. How would he tell Wheeljack that he’d been sparked, that they couldn’t keep it? Would the other mech be angry with him? Would he-_ _

__As he tried to reach his mate through the door, Wheeljack couldn’t help but think of the last time the jet had placed a door between himself and the scientist. It had been during the seeker’s heat, so long ago it seemed. By the time Wheeljack had finally convinced Starscream to open the door then, the seeker had been at the edge of permanent deactivation._ _

__The scientist, with that thought in mind, found that he was not above begging as he spoke through the door. “Starscream, please let me in. I want to help you. Just tell me what’s goin' on.”_ _

__There was no way that the scientist would leave without an answer. Reaching up the wall, Starscream cued the door to slide open._ _

__Within moments, Wheeljack had come in and was kneeling in front of the jet. His field was a riot of worry and confusion. But even with the blatant concern in his field, Wheeljack managed to keep calm as he looked at his mate with soft optics. “Star? You okay?”_ _

__“I said I was fine.”_ _

__A resigned sigh. “You’re not fine.”_ _

__Starscream looked away, unable to meet the caring optics of his mate. He couldn’t do this to Wheeljack. He’d promised himself that he’d never allow this to happen, that he’d never-_ _

__Was he _crying? _____

____When Wheeljack saw the tears in the usually prickly mech’s optics, he knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. “I’m calling a medic-“_ _ _ _

____“No!” The seeker felt disgusted as fluid filled his optics and trickled freely down his cheeks. Stupid carrier hormones, making him emotional-_ _ _ _

____“Star, you’re scarin' me here-“_ _ _ _

____“I’m sparked.”_ _ _ _

____Just as Starscream expected, Wheeljack froze completely. Even his field ceased to move around them as the white speedster stared at his mate with optics blown wide. Even Wheeljack’s hand had stopped in midair, halfway to the other mech’s face._ _ _ _

____It could’ve been mere kliks or it could’ve been a millennia. Starscream allowed himself to sob quietly, all reservations gone in the face this new reality. Wheeljack didn’t want a sparkling with him. Did Starscream himself want a sparkling after all? Is that why his mate’s rejection hurt? Soon, the scientist would stand and walk out and leave him, just like Megatron would or any mech with any slagging sense-_ _ _ _

____“You’re carrying?” Wheeljack’s battle mask was still in place, his field still unmoving. Starscream nodded silently in affirmation, already prepared for the worst._ _ _ _

____“Starscream, are you carrying my sparkling?”_ _ _ _

____Another mute nod in answer. Fresh tears dripped unchecked from the seeker's optics and down his face, off his chin. This was all too much. Why had he ever trusted somebot? He'd trusted a single mech in all his existence. Now Starscream felt like a single word from the scientist would make him fall part-_ _ _ _

_____Slagging carrier hormones, frag it all- ____ _ _ _

______A click was heard, a sound that Starscream knew well by that point._ _ _ _ _ _

______The jet looked up to find Wheeljack’s battle mask retracted. The scientist's face bore the last thing that Starscream expected to see._ _ _ _ _ _

______The ex-Wrecker was beaming, brighter and wider than the flight frame had ever seen him. Wheeljack’s field abruptly came to life and engulfed his scarlet mate as the scientist reached again for Starscream’s face. “I- really?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, really.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______And with that, the seeker was pulled from the wall and into a tight embrace. The white mech kissed him frantically all about his helm and Starscream let him, still shocked by Wheeljack’s reaction._ _ _ _ _ _

______When the other mech finally pulled away, it was just far enough for him to look down at his mate’s face. Wheeljack’s optics glowed with excitement. “I’m gonna be a sire.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Starscream swallowed, still unsure of how to react. Sarcasm? Spite? He had a list of weapons in his armory. But did he have anything for this?_ _ _ _ _ _

______Wheeljack pressed another of what felt like a hundred kisses to the side of the seeker’s helm. The white mech’s field swirled around them, a protective hurricane of emotion with the pair of them at its eye._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eventually, Starscream found himself relaxing into his mate’s embrace, relishing in the attention that he was getting. Wheeljack kept mumbling as he petted the jet, gently caressing the red seeker’s wings and spinal strut. They stayed huddled together on the floor, more than comfortable despite the sour tang of purged energon and the musty smell that was typical of washracks._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I didn’t know how you’d react.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Starscream’s confession surprised Wheeljack and he sat back a little to look at the other mech. “What do you mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, I’m not exactly carrier material. It never interested me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______A kiss lit on Starscream’s forehelm and the seeker pressed himself flush against the white mech. “You’re carrying my sparkling. Do you have any idea how happy that makes me?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Starscream considered. “But we can’t have a sparkling, Wheeljack, don’t you get it?” The jet pushed himself off of and away from his mate to exit the washracks. Concerned, Wheeljack jumped up to follow._ _ _ _ _ _

______The seeker moved about the room, busily moving things about without really paying attention to what he was doing. “I have enemies. I can list a dozen who’d love to deactivate me. If I had a sparkling they’d either try and turn it against me or- or- worse!”_ _ _ _ _ _

_______They might murder our sparkling. ____ _ _ _ _ _

________Hands, firm and insistent, moved to Starscream’s arms, steadying the jet. Starscream resisted the comfort as he continued. “What if you change your mind? What if it doesn’t work out? Or there’s a coup? Wheeljack, what if-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You really think I’d spark you up and leave you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wheeljack felt a shot of betrayal pass through his spark. Did the seeker think so little of him? He knew that Starscream was paranoid to the point of insanity, but hadn’t Wheeljack proven time after time that he could be trusted? There was no doubt that raging hormones, combined with Starscream's paranoid fear and traumatic past, weren’t going to make this easy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Starscream scoffed. “I’m not asking you to stay, Wheeljack. If you want to go, then go.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The change in the seeker's attitude was swift enough that Wheeljack immediately recognized it for the defensive tactic that it was. There was the Starscream he knew. “Let’s merge.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wheeljack, I know you say that now, but- wait, what?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wheeljack came closer. “I want to merge with you.” The scientist extended his hand to press it flat over Starscream’s cockpit. “I want to feel our sparkling. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to see I’m not lying.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The scientist watched the emotions play over his mate’s face. Starscream was a mech always calculating, trying to find the scheme under everyone else’s words. Apparently, he found nothing and nodded slowly. “I… suppose we could do that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

Wheeljack was always careful with his mate, like the beautiful seeker was fashioned out of Earth-glass. The revelation that Starscream was sparked only served to heighten the speedster’s awareness as he guided the stressed jet back to the berthroom they shared.

Starscream often complained about Wheeljack’s over-cautious handling. The jet still wasn’t comfortable being so close to another mech after all the time that he’d spent pushing everyone away. He was used to the rough treatment of the Decepticon ranks, the struggle for basic survival.

But with Wheeljack, everything was… soft. Warm. The scientist, who usually kept his mask closed, had the most perfect smile whenever he turned it on Starscream. Though the seeker would never admit it or return the adoring looks, he held those little things close to his spark. Late in the cycle, when the city was falling into recharge around him, the seeker would think about the gentle touches and the light kisses to his helm, all stolen in private by Starscream’s request.

As the white speedster bent over him and Starscream lay back on the berth, the jet wasn’t sure if he would mind such public displays of affection after all.

“You’re so important to me.”

The scientist’s words were softly spoken as he licked up his mate’s deeply scarred throat cables. They never said the L-word; Starscream couldn’t bring himself to do it. But Wheeljack, ever understanding, seemed to know that the jet cared deeply for him all the same.

Starscream released a sigh through his vents and relaxed as the scientist hovered over him. The whole time, Wheeljack continued to murmur happy praises to his mate. “We’re sparked, I can’t believe we’re sparked- oh, Star-“

They hadn’t been mated for very long. After Starscream’s heat cycle, Wheeljack had asked if they could talk about furthering their relationship. The seeker had been stunned to say the least by the prospect of the handsome ex-Wrecker being interested in him at all. It hadn’t been long before their relationship became known to the populace.

Reviews were mixed, as would be expected. Some mechs and femmes still hated Starscream with a passion and thought that he was somehow manipulating the Autobot scientist. The Decepticon crowd seemed to be convinced that it was an attempt by the jet to unite the divided public.

All such doubts were put to rest when the Ruler of Cybertron announced his taking of a conjunx endura. The ceremony had been small and mostly private with only their closest friends present (Wheeljack’s friends, really). The four acts had been performed between the pair and the official rites were completed. Though many had once questioned the budding relationship between the two, the commitment of becoming conjunx endurae couldn’t lie.

Starscream barely held back a gasp as his mate’s warm mouth sucked on his main fuel lines, leaving a trail of cooling oral lubricant as the scientist went. The seeker’s spark jolted sharply and felt heavier than it usually did in its casing.

He was distracted when Wheeljack suddenly dipped his glossa into the flight frame’s helm vents to wiggle it obscenely between the louvre’s there. This time, Starscream couldn’t stop the moan that came from deep in his chassis. “Oooh~”

The scientist pulled away and looked down at him then. Wheeljack’s optics were shining bright with emotion and Starscream swore he saw some tears in them. “Star, I’m so happy.” A soft kiss landed on the red mech’s mouth. “I never thought I’d get to have sparklings. Not with…”

Wheeljack’s mouth twitched a little and the jet understood. The facial scarring on the scientist’s face caused the metal to be warped and disfigured. It was the reason that he kept his battle mask in place whenever he went out. Starscream knew what such scars could do to a mech’s confidence; he had his own scars, placed on his neck by Megatron’s fangs. Wheeljack hadn’t thought himself desirable because of them, just as Starscream had once felt the same way about his own.

Squirming a little, the seeker reached up until he could press a kiss against the other mech’s torn mouth. Starscream allowed his own glossa to sweep against his mate’s trembling lips and felt Wheeljack swallow thickly. “I want to interface while we merge.”

The scientist stroked the jet’s fluttering helm louvres as he regarded his seeker. “Why?”

“Does it matter? If you must know, it’s healthy for the sparkling. Transfluid from the sire-“

“-helps provide materials for the gestation chamber.”

Starscream averted his optics, cutting them to the side and away from the searching gaze of his mate. He didn’t dare admit that he’d entertained the thought of having bitlets with the scientist. Those thoughts had played a small part in the seeker’s curious info. gathering. “Seekers are rare. It’s my job to know something about it.”

Thundercracker had been sparked at one point during the war. It had been the result of the blue seeker’s mating cycle and the trine had desperately tried to hide his condition from the Decepticon ranks. But keeping the sparkling a secret had resulted in being far more fatal than had the trine let it be known. Before the bitlet had even begun to form in the seeker’s gestation chamber, Thundercracker had been grievously wounded on a mission, a mission that he could’ve avoided had he told a medic about his condition. As a result of being shot and tumbling from the sky, Thundercracker’s strained spark rejected the newspark that depended on it for life. They’d nearly lost Thundercracker himself due to a combination of his injuries and the agony faced by one who’d lost a sparkling.

The event had struck a heavy blow to morale when Thundercracker’s secret was revealed. Starscream made it his job from that point on to know as much as he could about sparklings, especially the ones belonging to the endangered seeker race. Though he was none too thrilled to become a carrier himself, the red jet knew how important it was for the race of fliers that he successfully carry the sparkling he know had with the speedster.

Wheeljack continued to look down at his seeker, regarding Starscream with no small amount of awe. “I never took you for the nurturin’ type.”

“I’m not. That’s your job.”

The scientist actually laughed then. “Whatever you say, Star.” With the red flyer’s legs hanging over the berth, Wheeljack settled himself on the floor between the other’s knee joints. A sly look passed over his face. “Mind lettin’ me in?”

With a sigh that was part feigned exasperation and part relief, Starscream allowed his panel to snap back. While his spike would remain inactive during his carrying cycle, the seeker’s valve was nearly three times as sensitive as it would usually be. The moment that the cool air of the berth room hit his valve lips, a shot of pure arousal arced through Starscream’s field.

Wheeljack knelt until he was eye level with his mate’s bared valve. The carrier protocols had definitely effected the sleek jet before him. Lubricants drenched the puffy valve lips, dribbling down to pool beneath the seeker’s aft. The metalmesh was swollen and irritated as the calipers inside squeezed desperately down on nothing. Starscream’s usually tight ring hung loose and ready for Wheeljack’s spike and the scientist felt a wave of desire hit him.

Wheeljack tried to shake away the clouding in his processor as the other mech’s pheromones assaulted his olfactory sensors. He had to resist the automatic response of popping his panels and taking the seeker that moment. “Primus, you’re beautiful.”

True to character, Starscream scoffed from the other end of the berth. “Yes, I know. Get on with it.”

Without a klik’s hesitation, Wheeljack dove forward to press his face against the welcoming valve of the red mech. The shock of the ex-Wrecker’s sudden action forced a strangled yelp from Starscream as the seeker slammed a hand over his own mouth. He failed to stifle the moan that vibrated up from his vocalizer as Wheeljack jabbed his glossa as deep as he could into the soaked valve, lapping hungrily at the fluids gathering there.

“O-ooh- ‘J-Jack!”

The white mech barely heard his mate’s cries of pleasure as he sucked on the valve lips, the calipers, the anterior node, anything that he could lock his lips around. For some reason, he felt more desperate for Starscream, more frantic for his mate than he usually was. 

Even as his ministrations brought the seeker to a keen-inducing overload, Wheeljack didn’t feel like anything he did was enough. He was so overwhelmed by the news, by the smell coming off of his carrying mate, the extra brightness in Starscream’s optics. It was all just too much.

When his conjunx pulled away, Starscream recognized the look of desperation in Wheeljack’s face. “Wheeljack?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why-“

“Frag me.”

Wheeljack’s optics dilated slightly. “W-What?”

Starscream’s optics held the same blazing fire as the white speedster’s as he leaned forward to hook a talon beneath Wheeljack’s chin. A wicked grin caused a single glinting fang to peek from the gorgeous seeker’s mouth. “I want you to frag me.”

The white mech felt the pressure build behind his panel. “Should I? I mean- I don’t want to hurt you or the sparkling.”

Starscream watched as his mate reached to place a hand on his chest, just over the jet’s spark. “Primus, it’s not even started to form in the chamber yet. And I’m not made of glass so…” Starscream paused. “You really are excited about this, aren’t you?”

“How could I not be? You are important to me, Star, if becomin’ conjunx wasn’t convincing enough for you. Now, we’re gonna have a sparkling together. I know you ain’t the type to get excited over anything rather than-“

“Okay, okay. Point taken. You’re happy.” Some of the heat returned to Starscream’s field and he allowed his voice to drop into a growl. “Right now, I want you to frag me into this berth. If you’re as excited about this sparkling as you say… then you won’t have any trouble filling me up with your transfluid, will you?”


	3. Chapter 3

Wheeljack had never dared to frag his mate. They’d always interfaced slowly, the scientist carefully calculating his movements as he spiked the seeker. It was closer to lovemaking and drawing little noises from Starscream until he peaked into overload. Wheeljack had never gotten rough or moved quickly with his mate.

It was partly because it had never occurred to him to try. The jet always seemed on the verge of violence or of running away from their berth sharing. As a result of Starscream unpredictability, Wheeljack had always taken special care to read the seeker and never assumed that a good hard frag was something the jet would be interested in.

He was also leery of pushing the red mech too far. Starscream’s past made interfacing stressful for the him. The ex-Wrecker knew this and did his best to make his mate as comfortable as possible whenever they did go to the berthroom. More often than not, the seeker needed a lot of foreplay before welcoming Wheeljack’s advances and, no matter how many times the scientist offered to switch it up, Starscream rarely ever used his spike. Though it didn’t bother Wheeljack in the slightest, he could never allow himself to lose control.

So as the speedster lowered himself down on top of the blazing hot flight frame, he wasn’t by any means certain about what to expect. Starscream was already reaching up to him and tugging their faces together in a searing, hungry kiss. Wheeljack could feel the pheromones coming off of his mate and he thought again of seeing his seeker’s condition. He returned the kiss fiercely, the image of a sparkling-heavy Starscream wavering before his vision.

When the two parted for air, Wheeljack panted against his mate’s mouth. “You sure you want me to frag you?”

“Yes, I want you to. You never have. It’s always soft, like you’re scared or something.” The seeker snarled through clenched fangs, his nasal bridge wrinkled as he pulled his lips back. “I want it hard. You sparked me up, slag you, now _breed me _.”__

__Halfway through Starscream’s speech, the scientist’s felt his mouth go dry. Several warnings were crowding his HUD as his chassis core temperature spiked and the pressure behind his boiling modesty panel doubled. Wheeljack continuously denied the requests to open as he tried to gather his thoughts, but eventually the requests stopped. Wheeljack jerked with surprise as his panel snapped away and his spike pressurized instantly._ _

__Before the scientist could even react, Starscream had reached forward and had gripped the erect spike in a vice grip. Wheeljack keened as he watched the seeker squeeze from base to head and a thin trail of prefluid bubbled from his sore slit. He inhaled quickly through his vents and felt more of Starscream’s feverish excitement enter through his olfactory sensors, a deadly cocktail of pheromones that begged for sex and satisfaction. Wheeljack shivered as his mate mercilessly stroked his spike to its full length. Slag it to the Pit._ _

__Wheeljack’s voice was rough with static. “Get on your knees.”_ _

__Faster than he thought possible, the seeker flipped himself over and gave Wheeljack a show as he did. Starscream fluttered his wings enticingly, knowing that his aroused mate had a thing for them as he rolled himself onto his knees. The jet proceeded to present his aft to the flustered scientist, giving it a wiggle as he backed up toward the spike he so desperately wanted. Once his valve lips were brushing Wheeljack’s spike head, Starscream collapsed his arms until his chest rested on the berth. As the speedster looked down at him, the seeker arched his spinal strut gracefully to accommodate for the position, spreading his knees wider as he did._ _

__The sight of Starscream in that position nearly sent the stunned scientist into an early overload. That was until a voice sounded from the red flyer, the words distorted by the pillow pressed against the seeker’s face. “If you blow it right now, I might actually kill you, Autobot.”_ _

__“I-I won’t.”_ _

__“That didn’t sound- oh! Yes!”_ _

__Wheeljack had hilted his spike into the sassy mech’s valve with one effortless push. The sudden stimulation bordered on painful and the speedster groaned, curling slightly forward over his mate’s body. Primus, Starscream was molten hot inside. He could feel the valve’s calibers moving and sucking his spike in, as if they were trying to convince Wheeljack to release his transfluid already. All in good time._ _

__The scientist surprised himself when he bent low over his squirming mate and hissed evenly into his audial. “I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”_ _

__“If you wait much longer, I doubt I’ll ever find out.”_ _

__And Wheeljack didn’t hold back as he reared his hips back and slammed his spike into the wet heat of his mate’s valve. As he felt the entrance welcome him again and again, the scientist entertained the thought that his spark might give out on him. He could die this way, with his beautiful mate begging him for more and his spike buried into the gorgeous seeker’s sloppy mess of a valve._ _

__Starscream panted something into the pillow. Wheeljack pulled out completely before growling against his mate’s audial. “Excuse me?”  
Arousal shot through the red jet’s field as he turned his face to look Wheeljack dead in the optics. There was something wild in those red orbs. “I asked you if that’s all you’ve got.”_ _

__A klik later, the scientist rammed his spike back into the flyer’s convulsing valve. A hand splayed across Starscream’s belly, supporting his heavily bowed body as Wheeljack renewed his relentless thrusting. The white mech took him like he was desperate, pounding into the soaked, lubricant-smeared entrance. Every time Wheeljack bucked forward, the grip he had on Starscream’s hip pulled the seeker back, effectively impaling the jet as deeply as possible on the thick member._ _

__It wasn’t long before Wheeljack felt his transfluid chamber tightening. The knot settled low in his belly, begging to be released as he continued pummeling the other mech’s ceiling nodes with his spike head. The sensitivity was beginning to border on painful when Starscream did something he’d never done in the berth._ _

__The seeker cried out. Wheeljack faltered for a moment at the sound. Contrary to what his name would suggest, Starscream had always been quiet in the berth, only offering up little whines and moans when the scientist had really earned them. Wheeljack recovered quickly and resumed rutting into his mate, trying to keep the angle he’d had moments before._ _

__Again, Starscream yelped, his legs trembling as his mate’s thrusts gradually became jerky and uneven. Wheeljack could see drool on the pillow, likely from the jet’s slack mouth. His mate’s optics were glazed with pleasure and the scientist cursed himself for not doing something like this sooner. It was rare to see Starscream so limp and compliant._ _

__Wheeljack hilted himself one more time before he came with a choked moan. As the ex-Wrecker let his release rock him to the core, he noticed that his mate had gone still under him. As he fought to escape the overload still building in his heaving frame, transfluid chamber spasming insistently, Wheeljack spoke. His voice was hoarse as he tried to hold off his overload and failed. “Star? Starscream?”_ _

__Beneath him the seeker abruptly stiffened, his valve clamping down on Wheeljack’s spike. And then, he really screamed. Shaking, Starscream overloaded hard around his mate’s still-pulsing spike, crying out as transfluid made its way into his gestation tank. “Yes! Oh, more- give me more- oooh-“_ _

__The sight of his wanton mate’s hips dancing around his spike nearly tipped Wheeljack into another overload. In the end, his reserves were too exhausted for a second overload to be rung from the ex-Wrecker’s body. Starscream’s vocalizer shorted out in the middle of a wail and the seeker’s spent frame slipped off of Wheeljack’s depressurizing spike. Wobbling on his knees, the scientist barely avoided collapsing on top of his mate, dodging to the side at the last klik._ _

__Just before Wheeljack allowed recharge to claim him, he checked his mate one last time. Starscream’s face was lax and kind of cute, smooshed against the slobber-drenched pillow. The scientist’s last thought before the darkness took him was how angry the jet would be when he woke up so thoroughly debauched._ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is SUPER graphic. There is a sparkling involved.

Wheeljack came online to sound of violent purging. The kind of purging that came from intense pain.

The berth beside him was cold and… wet?

“Starscream, what the-“ Wheeljack turned his helm to look and immediately wished that he hadn’t.

The berth covers were smeared with spilled energon, some of it congealed. The scientist reached forward, disbelieving when a choking hack sounded from the washracks. _Starscream _.__

__Wheeljack was sitting up and scrambling to untangle himself from the covers wrapped around his legs. The strangled sounds in the washracks were rapidly becoming weaker, fading as a heavy thud reached his audials from the room. The ex-Wrecker kicked at the stubborn covers as frustrated tears began to streak his face. “Hold on, Star! I’m coming! Star!”_ _

__The scuffling in the washracks ceased just as Wheeljack managed to free himself and stumble off of the berth. He nearly fell twice as panicked tears distorted his vision. Angrily, he swept a fist across his face, trying to clear them enough for him to see as he neared the washracks. “Star, I’m here, just-“_ _

__Energon was smeared all across the walls, the floor. It was even splattered on the ceiling. There didn’t seem to be a spot in the racks that was untouched by it. And in the center, to Wheeljack’s growing horror, lay his mate._ _

__Starscream’s plating was saturated with spilled energon. The scientist’s optics traced his conjunx’s still form as he searched for the wound, for the source of so much energon- “Starscream, no-“_ _

__Wheeljack sank to his knees beside the seeker. Starscream’s optics stared at the ceiling, black and sightless. His mouth hung open loosely and energon drooled from it. Not caring whether or not he got any of the mess on himself, Wheeljack moved to pull the other mech into his arms. As he expected, the once-stunning seeker didn’t react to his touch or his begging cries. He was too far gone to be saved. “No, Star, no, don’t do this to me. No, no, no-“_ _

__And then he saw it._ _

__When the scientist moved his lifeless mate, a fresh torrent of energon made it’s way down the drain. Drawing his attention, Wheeljack spotted the source of the energon loss. It came from between Starscream’s legs. As he continued to study the growing pool of rushing fluids, Wheeljack saw the tiny form on the washrack’s floor. _Holy Primus, no- _____

____Gently laying his mate back against the wall, Wheeljack crawled across the floor, not caring that he waded on his hands and knees through the mess. He thought his spark might go out as he reached out to touch the motionless sparkling on the floor. It was too young to have survived, too small-_ _ _ _

____But the scientist lifted the tiny form anyway, holding his sparkling in his hands. It may have been too early to live outside the gestation chamber, but Wheeljack could tell it would’ve been a flight frame. A little red flight frame. Just like it’s dead carrier._ _ _ _

____The scientist screamed. He howled and curled up around his precious little one, praying that some miracle would bring it back or that he could go with them-  
Wheeljack screamed until he woke himself up._ _ _ _

____He jerked straight up out of the berth, the vision of his conjunx’s energon staining his hands. His optics darted around the quarters, but all he could see was his sparkling dead in his palms, it’s tiny winglets underdeveloped and limp as the scientist cried over its little body. Wheeljack sobbed as he sat on the berth, the memory of the dream so vivid in his processor that real pain radiated through his spark._ _ _ _

____And then he noticed. The berth beside him was cold. He heard it. Retching. Coming from the washracks._ _ _ _

____Wheeljack tore the covers in his haste to escape them, thanking Primus for his second chance. “Star! Star, please-“_ _ _ _

____The scientist burst into the washracks, nearly taking the door off of its mounts as his optics adjusted to the light._ _ _ _

____“What in the slag are you doing?!”_ _ _ _

____Wheeljack’s optics landed on his mate then, kneeling over the drain. Starscream’s cheek plates were tear-stained and sunken in. The smell of purge hit the scientist’s olfactory sensors as he stumbled toward the seeker. There must’ve been something in his field because the jet didn’t fight him as the speedster pulled him close.  
It was long time before the scientist’s vents slowed to a manageable rate. Starscream stayed stock still and allowed himself to be crushed against the other mech’s chest plates. “Wheeljack, what’s going on?”_ _ _ _

____The ex-Wrecker’s breathes were still uneven and caught harshly in his intake. “You- and the sparkling- you were- it was- “_ _ _ _

____“Calm down and talk. I’m right here and nothing has happened to me or-“_ _ _ _

____“You were dead- right here- you lost it- o-on the floor- I couldn’t- I can’t-“_ _ _ _

____Starscream surprised them both by returning the desperate embrace of his conjunx. “You can see that I’m here and fine. I honestly can’t see how you slept in the mess we made-“_ _ _ _

____Wheeljack brow was furrowed as he repeatedly kissed at the seeker’s helm and neck. It had felt so real, like his entire world had collapsed around him in that washracks. He was still shaking violently, unable to rid himself of the dream._ _ _ _

____“Look, Wheeljack. Look.”_ _ _ _

____It was then that the scientist became aware of the pale light that washed the space around them. Wheeljack, still reluctant to let his mate go, sat back while he kept a tight grip on Starscream’s upper arms. The seeker’s chest plates were parted slightly, just a crack. It was enough for Wheeljack to see the spark turning inside._ _ _ _

____The sight of Starscream’s spark always took his breath away. It’s corona was violet, a strange contrast to the seeker’s red optics and biolights. As Wheeljack leaned to look in at the spark he’d bonded with so many times, a feeling of calm came over him._ _ _ _

____Then he saw it. A tiny newspark orbited Starscream’s own, flaring brightly every turn or so._ _ _ _

____The scientist watched the little ball of energy for a few moments longer before Starscream allowed his chest to close and his cockpit to return to its place. “See? I’m fine, it’s fine. All is well. Now, can I finish purging for the fourth time and cleaning it up?”_ _ _ _

____“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry I- uhm-“_ _ _ _

____A hand rested over Wheeljack’s. “Are you alright?”_ _ _ _

____“Just… tell me if you think anything is wrong at all, okay? Anything. Promise me, Star.” The rest of Wheeljack’s thoughts went unspoken. Starscream knew what he was to the scientist. There was no use in making things even more messy and awkward than he’d already made them._ _ _ _

____“I promise.”_ _ _ _

____With a parting kiss to the seeker’s helm vents, Wheeljack pulled himself onto shaky legs. Starscream stood with him and nuzzled under the scientist’s chin for a moment before wordlessly turning back to the wash nozzle._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate torturing Wheeljack, but this happened :,(


	5. Chapter 5

“WHEELJACK!”

The scientist jumped and barely avoided a smack to his helm from Windblade’s hand. The femme looked a mix of annoyed and concerned. “Have you heard anything I’ve said?”

“About what?”

The Camien’s wings flicked. “My report about- ugh, never mind.”

“Listen, Windblade, I’m sorry, I just-“

“What did he do?”

The question caught Wheeljack off guard. “What did who do?”

“Starscream. What did he do that’s got you so distracted today? Threaten to kill you again? Ban you from your lab?”

Windblade tossed her datapad down on the scientist’s lab table and folded her arms, effectively putting the ball in his court. The ex-Wrecker struggled under her gaze.

They’d decided to keep Starscream’s condition a secret, bot for Star’s safety and the sparkling’s. It had been the seeker’s idea, likely a side effect of his ever prevalent paranoia. Wheeljack doubted that anybot would go after an unborn, defenseless sparkling, but Starscream had been adamant.

Wheeljack couldn’t shake the dream. He kept seeing his Starscream, his difficult, gorgeous, headstrong Starscream, dead on the washracks floor, covered in his own energon. The scientist couldn’t shake the feeling of his tiny sparkling, so innocent and so lifeless as it lay in his hands. That little body had been on his mind and had been the reason he’d missed the entirety of Windblade’s report.

The speedster averted his gaze and fiddled with one of the tools on his work bench. “He didn’t do anything. I’m fine. Sorry for not listening. Just a lot going on in general-“

“Uh-huh.”

“What?”

“Your helm fins. They’re flashing.”

Wheeljack rolled his optics but he pulled back his field all the same. “So what if they are?”

“Oh, Jackie,” Windblade leaned against the wall, her wings doing a self-satisfied little dance. “They do that when you’re lying. Every time.”

Embarrassed, the scientist glared at her, causing the femme to laugh out loud. Wheeljack turned away from her and made his way across the lab. “It doesn’t matter what it is. Everything is fine. Do you have anything else you wanted to talk about?”

“Oh, come on! It’s like you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“Well, you’ve accused me of lying-“

“Because you were!”

Wheeljack watched, a little amused as the Camien came toward him. “You’re in rare form today.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Chromia’s been making her moves.”

The scientist smiled before he caught a glimpse of the femme’s wings, hiked high behind her with excitement. His sparkling had had winglets.

Wheeljack fought aware the sudden anxiety that settled over his spark and tried to quell the longing for his conjunx. “Moves, huh? You think she’s gonna…?”

“I hope so.” Windblade moved to look over her friend’s shoulder and elbowed him in the side. “Come on, Jackie. What’s up with you? I never see you anymore. It’s like Starscream has-“

“Ah. Hello, Windblade.”

Wheeljack and Windblade spun around at the sound of the new voice. It came from the doorway.

Starscream strode into the room, his optics quickly appraising the closeness of the two bots before him. The scientist turned back to his work bench and took a half-step away from the Camien at his side. The seeker had always been territorial and it had only gotten worse as his carrying cycle had gone on.

The femme didn’t move as the jet approached. She watched the seeker’s movements, studying him carefully. Her assessment wasn’t lost on Starscream and he didn’t appreciate it, his wings drawn high behind himself. “I see you’ve kept my scientist late again.”

“I just stopped in a for a few kliks. He kept himself.”

Wheeljack dodged his mate’s look and instead went about cleaning up his workspace. Starscream’s field was louder than usual, pushing at the scientist’s back strut. It was an almost solid presence of anger, uncertainty and- was that betrayal?

“I’ll see you around, Wheeljack.” The speedster nodded to Windblade as she departed. 

Starscream watched after the femme until the lab door closed behind her. Almost instantly, the seeker was onto his mate, his voice a hiss. “You missed our meeting.”

“Yeah, I just got carried away-“

“Talking to the Camien?”

“No, I-“

“So it’s ‘Jackie,’ huh? Is that new?”

Wheeljack knew that his mate was unusually stressed. The jet’s field was a mess of nervous energy, whipping and snaking this way and that. Starscream didn’t really think something was going on. His processor’s natural paranoia was heightened by the carrying cycle. It made the seeker even more irritable than usual.

“Starscream.”

“Yes?”

“You’re being difficult.”

“I’m being difficult?! Here I am sacrificing my frame for your sparkling and she’s calling you ‘Jackie’?”

Wheeljack nearly made the terrible mistake of rolling his optics. He managed to stop himself just in time, narrowly avoiding the start of a war between them. “Listen, she’s just a friend. You? You’re my mate My conjunx. You are my Star. You are the carrier of our sparkling.” As slowly as he dared, the speedster made his way to his jet and ran a gentle hand down one broad wing. “You are the most important thing to me. You and our child.”

The scientist’s palm came to rest on the seeker’s chest plate and Starscream considered briefly. “I suppose you can make it up to me. The staying so late part, anyway.”

Sensing hat he was making progress, Wheeljack moved closer until he could slip an arm around his mate’s slender waist. “Oh? And how would you like me to do that?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, 'Jackie.'”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at a wedding so it's a little schmoopy ;)

“Starscream? Can I talk to you for a klik?”

The flight frame sighed and placed his datapad on the desk in front of him. Even though he acted like it was an interruption, he was truly glad that his mate wanted to see him. It would be a good break.

Wheeljack stood in the doorway to the jet’s office, as handsome as he’d ever been. It didn’t matter if his mate’s ruined mouth was hidden or not. Even as he was aware that his hormones likely played a role, Starscream had to admit. His conjunx cut a striking image. “Yes, Wheeljack?”

The scientist came further into the office, his optics never quite meeting the seeker’s. “I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing.”

“You just did that. In fact, I’m still on the same datapad.” Starscream fixed his attention on the speedster, taking his slumped form for the first time. “Wheeljack?”

The white mech’s optics were dull and the metal beneath them had retracted. It was clear sign of a severe lack of recharge. As the scientist slowly lowered himself into the chair on the other side of Starscream’s desk, the seeker began making a mental list of everything he saw right away. The pale optics, the bruising under them, the lack of shine in his plating, the way his helm fins didn’t light up at all-

“You remember the night that I woke up and- and found you in the washracks? I had the nightmare?”

Starscream rolled his optics. “How could I forget? You saw me purge. It was embarrassing.”

“Listen to me, Star. I can’t stop thinking about it-“

“Me purging?”

“Just! Let me say this. Please?” The seeker seemed to sense the seriousness in the white mech’s voice and nodded shortly. “Star… I saw you in that dream. You were dead. I held you in my arms and there was energon everywhere-“

Starscream watched as his mate fought to take a steadying breath. He remembered the night well. Wheeljack had burst in and scared the Pit out of him, tears streaming down his face. He’d been muttering about the dream then. “Go on.”

“It was so small and helpless and you were both gone- Star, I begged Primus to let me go with you both. It hurt so bad and I can’t shake it, I see it every time we lay down to recharge.” The scientist was still struggling when he lifted his optics at last to meet those of his mate. “Star, if for one second you think something is wrong, I am begging you. Tell me.”

“Wheeljack,” The jet came around the desk until he stood before his conjunx. “This was a dream. It wasn’t real and I’m fine. You make sure I take the supplements and see the medics regularly so that they can poke and prod at me.” 

Despite his words, Starscream could still see the distress that had settled in Wheeljack’s exhausted optics. The seeker sighed and tried is best to channel gentle calm into his field. He wasn’t used to being the one doing the comforting. “What can I do to help you?”

“Can I… just hold you? For a little while? I promise I won’t take up much of your time. I know you’re busy here.”

Something ached deep in Starscream’s spark. Wheeljack was his mate. Didn’t the idiot know how important he was?

Snorting, the seeker stepped around his conjunx and poked his helm outside. “Rattrap? I know you’re lurking. Be useful and clear my schedule for the cycle.”

Scurrying peds answered him and, satisfied, Starscream turned back to the speedster. He’d never seen Wheeljack look so beaten down. It was a little scary. “Come with me.”

Wordlessly, Wheeljack took the offered hand and trailed after his seeker, peds dragging as they traversed the halls. Every so often, Starscream would stop and look back at his mate, worry building in his usually cold conscience.

When they finally made it back to their shared quarters, the seeker guided Wheeljack in through the door. The scientist blinked slowly at his mate before silently reaching out his hands. Starscream easily went into the other mech’s arms and they stood like that in the middle of the living area for a long time.

Eventually, the jet pulled away and led the speedster back into their berthroom. He unceremoniously shoved Wheeljack onto the berth, red optics twinkling as he did. Wheeljack fell easily and barely registered it as his mate crawled on top of him to straddle his waist.

Starscream’s field was more gentle than Wheeljack had ever felt it as the seeker leaned down and drew his lips over the other mech’s closed battle mask. “Open.”

When Wheeljack complied, Starscream proceeded to kiss him slowly, coaxing the ex-Wrecker’s glossa out to play. The scientist sighed and allowed himself to enjoy the attention as his conjunx took each of his hands into his own. 

The seeker made his way down the other mech’s body, peppering the metal with kisses as he went. Wheeljack kept his optics closed, focusing on his mate’s caresses as he worked on willing away the fear in his spark. Starscream released his hold on the scientist’s hands and massaged little circles into Wheeljack’s torso transformation seams. The next thing he knew, Starscream was drawing his glossa up his modesty panel. “Open this too.”

It was then that the scientist realized how aroused he’d become under his mate’s warm mouth and skilled hands. Keeping his optics shuttered, Wheeljack allowed his panel to retract with a moan. He felt it as Starscream teased his spike out of it’s housing and then moved even lower. A careful talon came to rest against the speedster’s valve lips, causing him to jump. 

“The best way to relax is a good overload, don’t you think?”

Without any further warning, the seeker’s smooth lips dipped to play with Wheeljack’s rapidly swelling valve lips. The scientist whined, unused to having his valve stimulated. As a result, it was extremely sensitive and reactive, quickly rewarding Starscream’s work with thick strands of lubricant.

Starscream’s arms moved to wrap around his mate’s trembling legs, holding them open as Wheeljack gradually came apart. He drew his glossa over the brightly pulsating anterior node and listened as the action drew a rare keen from the other mech. The scientist’s hips gave little jerks as Starscream continued to lap at the fluids collecting in the loosening entrance.

Wheeljack’s body tightened for just a moment before a soft sigh escaped from his vents. Unlike some overloads, such the ones that shorted vocalizers and numbed the sensory net, this overload rolled through the scientist’s frame. It washed over him as Starscream continued to suck lightly on his glistening folds, taking the stress from his struts and replacing it with liquid warmth throughout his lines.

And then his mate was above him again, kissing Wheeljack’s throat and ruined mouth. His field, usually so volatile and cold, moved with quiet reassurance around his mate. The feeling was so foreign from Starscream that the scientist wasn’t sure if he was dreaming again or not. He hoped that he wasn’t.

He was suddenly bathed in purple light as the sound of a transformation sequence reached his audials. Still a little dizzy from his overload, it took Wheeljack a moment to recognize his mate’s bared spark glowing above him. The spark blazed and reached little tendrils down toward Wheeljack’s chest, confused that it’s other half was still concealed behind the plating there. As the ex-Wrecker continued to watch the jet’s spark, he saw the tiny newspark spinning around it, a smaller echo of it’s carrier’s. 

“Well? Are you going to stare or merge?”

Wheeljack instantly triggered his chest armor apart, revealing his own spark. He could feel it already reaching for it’s mate, sending out little wisps of living light to try and entangle with Starscream’s.

“It wants to meet you.”

The scientist looked away from their sparks and up at his mate, uncomprehending. “What?”

“The sparkling. It wants to meet you.”

“You- you can feel it?”

Starscream furrowed his brow thoughtfully. “Sometimes. Like right now. It wants its sire.”

The seeker was cut off with a gasp as another reaching tendril of light stretched out toward Wheeljack’s. The pair shivered as two finally connected and the ends held onto each other, trading shocks of electricity. Unable to hold back anymore, Starscream lay himself on top of his mate’s chest, fully connecting their sparks at last.

Wheeljack instantly felt himself surrounded by his mate’s presence. Emotions flooded him and he heard himself shout, overwhelmed by everything that he was feeling. There was relief, excitement, and joy, all pushing at Wheeljack’s walls, insisting to be let in. Yet somehow those same bright emotions were mixed with despair, turmoil and uncertainty. Above him, Starscream trembled and moaned as his mate took some of the burden and the jet relaxed at last into Wheeljack’s waiting arms.

And there it was, emerging from the hazy euphoria that spakbonding brought. Its presence was so small, almost indistinguishable from everything else happening in Wheeljack’s consciousness. But the scientist had been looking for it, had been waiting for it to find him. He had wanted to meet it his entire life, but it had just come into existence. His creation. His sparkling.

Sparkbonding had a way of robbing one of every sense and dealing out different ones. Like sight, sound and all the others had been thrown into a blender and then reconstructed in a different sequence. Wheeljack could hear the newspark’s smile, could taste it’s presence. If he’d had a body at that moment, he would have cried as the little soul tried to ease the worry that it sensed in its sire’s spark.

Nearby, the ex-Wrecker could feel Starscream waiting, tension building in the seeker as time went on. Wheeljack extended his being to pull his hesitant mate forward until they embraced each other around the tiny newspark. It fluttered between them and the scientist could feel the blissful happiness that came off the little one as it was surrounded by its carrier and sire. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that before he could feel their inevitable overload approaching. Wheeljack didn’t want to leave the safe place he’d found, but knew also that there would be other times to see the newspark throughout Starscream’s carrying cycle. As he felt the overload beginning to crest, he released his hold on the sparkling and felt himself return to his body just as it arced upward.

The seeker on top of him jolted back, optics white and rolling in his helm. Wheeljack felt his chestplates close at last and reached to pull his mate down against him. They rode out the post-overload aftershocks together, the scientist’s arms forming a protective cage around Starscream. 

The red mech panted heavily, his exvents misting against Wheeljack’s throat cables. “Did you- see it?”

“Oh, Star- so perfect- so precious and strong-“

Starscream rested against his mate’s overheated chassis for a few moments longer before rolling off and onto the berth with a grunt. “You feel better now?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Wheeljack made sure to keep his arm against the seeker at his side as he replayed the feeling of his newspark through his processor. It was hard do as sparkbonds were impossible to remember clearly once they were over. But he tried anyway, remembering the way his child had moved to soothe his end of the bond. It was beautiful and he hadn’t even seen it or heard it’s voice yet. 

Starscream’s nasal bridge pushed up against his mate’s helm fin and gave it a lick. “Good. Forget that stupid dream and get some recharge.”


	7. Chapter 7

Wheeljack had always found his mate attractive. With his expressive wings and sleek frame, Starscream was a work of art, perfectly designed for speed and agility. The jet was a master of the sky, opposed by none. To watch Starscream perform above always caused the scientist’s spark to jump in his chest.

But for Wheeljack, the seeker was never more beautiful than he was now. 

Starscream was beginning to show. His once trim waist had started to swell outward, a sign that the newspark would soon separate and drop down into the gestation chamber. Once there, the spark would combine to the growing frame. 

Whenever Wheeljack noticed the slight bump in his mate’s lower torso (he stared at it all the time), a rush of happiness and adoration ran through the ex-Wrecker. He still couldn’t believe he’d sired a sparkling, let alone that it was with the intimidating Starscream.

The jet had insisted that he make the sparkling’s frame in his own forge and Wheeljack had wondered at first why Starscream would want to do such a thing. By using his own forge, Starscream would actually sacrifice his frame as the sparkling’s body was built in his gestation chamber. For someone who didn’t want anyone to know he was sparked, the decision hadn’t made since to Wheeljack at all.

But the scientist soon realized later why Starscream had taken such a route. The seeker had been cold constructed. Though Wheeljack would never ask definitively why his mate had decided to use his own forge, he had an idea that Starscream’s own creation might have had something to do with it.

Wheeljack watched as his increasingly round conjunx resettled himself in his chair with a grumble. “I can’t possibly complete the list that Windblade left for me. Doesn’t she understand that she is not the only one who comes to me? I can’t solve everything! This one isn’t even my business!”

Starscream waved a datapad in the air before dropping on the growing pile on his desk. Wheeljack suppressed a chuckle of amusement and wandered closer to his agitated mate. “I’m sure she doesn’t expect you to get it all done-“

“Doesn’t she? Don’t they?” The jet clambered to his peds and began to pace. Wheeljack didn’t miss the awkward movements of the seeker and the way that one talon-baring hand rested briefly on his lower belly as he stood. “I can’t solve all of her problems. She’s perfectly fine with leaving them to me, but what do any of them do to help? They can only despise me and be unappreciative.”

“Star-“

“I mean, you see it, right? What they’re trying to do?”

“Listen-“

“They’re trying to make me fail! They’re trying to push my limits until I can’t-“

“Starscream!”

“What?! What?”

The stressed seeker spun on one of his heels to face Wheeljack. His face was heavily flushed and his wings had hiked high on his back, shivering a little with pent up energy. Starscream’s hands were tight fists at his sides and his venting was far too fast to be healthy as Wheeljack stepped forward. Slowly, the speedster reached out to take both of his mate’s hands into his own. “You know that that’s not true and that you’re overthinkin' things.”

“I’m not-“

“Yes you are. You need to calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Wheeljack sighed heavily. Why did his mate have to be so difficult? “I’m not telling you what to do. I’m suggesting what’s best for the sparkling-“

“Everything is about the sparkling, isn’t it? What about me, Wheeljack?” The seeker pulled away from the other mech, optics darkening. Starscream’s field retracted too, projecting distrust against the scientist’s own field briefly before pulling away altogether.

Wheeljack pushed down the hurt he felt at the unspoken accusation and instead focused on saving his mate from himself. “You know that I worry about both of you, Star. You know how important you are to me and that I would never choose anything over you.”

“I… I don’t know how to do all of this.”

“That’s why I’m gonna help you.” The seeker fixed him with a glare, but Wheeljack saw no real heat behind it. Instead, the scientist saw something else. 

Starscream sniffed and glared at the floor. The shaking in his wings was slowly spreading throughout the rest of his frame. The glyphs were spoken so quietly that Wheeljack wasn’t sure if he actually heard them. “Are we doing the right thing here?”

“What?”

“Wheeljack…” 

Sharp red optics cut to the scientist for a moment before returning to the floor and then the window. In that brief moment of optic contact, Wheeljack understood exactly what his mate wasn’t saying. Starscream was terrified.

He wasn’t alone. Wheeljack was just as scared about the future and what it would bring. The dream still lurked on his processor whenever he lay down for recharge. He still woke up throughout the nightcycle just to pull Starscream closer to himself.

The scientist didn’t expect it to be easy. Nothing worth anything ever was. “You know I’ll be with you every step of the way, Star. Every step.”

“I know that.”

“I know you do. But it doesn’t hurt to remind you. And I know you won’t take me up on it, but remember that you can always talk to me.”

Starscream kept his attention fixed out the window, but Wheeljack could see the way his throat cables worked quickly. As always, the jet’s wings were his tell, falling slightly on their hinges and indicating that the speedster’s words had had the desired effect. Wheeljack extended his field to brush at his mate’s back, unsure of how much more the seeker could take at the moment. “I care about you, Star. You and our sparkling. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll wait up for-“

“Stay?” The red mech turned tightly on his thruster to look at his mate. Moisture had gathered in his optic corners, but Wheeljack wouldn’t dare say anything. “If you have nothing to do rather than bother me, you may as well stay and continue doing so. We can return home together later.”

The scientist gave his conjunx a smile, knowing he’d accomplished his goal of comforting the prickly seeker. “Sounds good to me.”


	8. Chapter 8

“He’s sparked isn’t he.”

It wasn’t a question. Wheeljack turned slowly at the sound of Windblade’s voice to find the femme standing in his lab’s doorway. Her arms were folded and her lips were pursed as she regarded him thoughtfully. The scientist fumbled for a moment before deciding that he couldn’t keep the secret anymore. “Yeah, he is. How’d you know?”

“It’s a little obvious now. When are you gonna tell the public?”

Starscream had begun to round out even more as the time approached for the newspark to drop. The seeker had become almost unbearable to deal with, pacing all hours of the night and day, hissing at the walls and generally just being more paranoid than usual. Though he’d done his best to ease the stress, Wheeljack had begun to run out of ideas when it came to consoling his mate.

The scientist looked down at his newest project for a few kliks longer before abandoning it and fixing tired optics on Windblade. “I’m not sure. Star doesn’t want to yet. I’m starting to think that he doesn’t plan on making an announcement at all. Is he really showing that much?”

The Camien lifted an optic ridge and nodded. “That and he’s more impossible than usual.”

“I don’t know how to make it easier on him. I know the carrying process ain’t pleasant.” Wheeljack sighed and poked a finger at one of his tools distractedly.

“What have you tried?”

Windblade listened carefully while the ex-Wrecker listed the things he’d tried using to help his upset mate. Interfacing and merging regularly had helped build the healthy frame for the newspark. The medics they’d been seeing had given them supplements to mix into Starscream’s fuel. They’d tried everything it seemed in an attempt to help the seeker.

By the time Wheeljack had finished, a knowing smile was on the femme’s face. It instantly annoyed the ex-Wrecker. After all, Wheeljack was a scientist, a master of experimentation. If he hadn’t found a solution, how could she find one so quickly?

Windblade considered for a moment longer. “What about Starscream himself?”

“What about him?”

“Well, it sounds like everything you’ve tried is for the sparkling’s wellbeing. What about Starscream’s?”

The question made no sense to the overworked, recharge-deprived speedster. “What do you mean? Keeping the sparkling healthy should keep him healthy too, shouldn’t it?”

Amusement shown on Windlbalde’s countenance as she stepped forward into the lab. “How much do you know about Starscream? Not from during the war, but from before.”

Why did that matter? “He was a senator of Vos. He had a trine. Why?”

“Don’t you get it, Wheeljack?”

“No, I don’t.”

A heavy sigh came from the Camien, as if she were eternally tired of being the voice of reason. “Vosians had many special traditions when it came to seeker sparklings and carrying. They were a rare race back then and held sparklings very sacred. Carrying was celebrated and carriers were held in high esteem. Trines were very important during the carrying process. They were traditionally formed for providing protection, comfort and any other things that the carrier might need.”

“What kind of traditions?”

“Seekers nest. They’re flyers after all so it’s natural for them to want a nesting area during the carrying process, especially someplace where they can see out and around themselves from high up.”

Wheeljack pulled a datapad closer to himself where he sat at his work bench and hurriedly began scribbling notes. “How do you know all of this anyway?”

“It’s natural for flight frames to nest and search out the safety of companions while raising their young. It is not so different on Caminus in that aspect.”

“What are good nesting materials? And what do trines do to comfort their carriers? What about traditions throughout the carrying process? And after the sparkling is born? What do you know about-“

Windblade sighed and took a seat at the work bench. It was going to be a long cycle.

 

~o0o~

 

Starscream stumbled down the hallway leading to his and Wheeljack’s quarters. He could feel the pain growing in his spark with every heavy step he took. The last visit to the medic had confirmed that the newspark would drop soon to join with the frame in his gestation forge. The process hadn’t yet begun and it already felt like his spark was trying to implode on itself under the strain.

The seeker lowered a hand to cup at his heavy middle. His plating was bowed out enough that it could no longer be hidden or explained away. Soon, everyone would know. Once they did, he would always have to be on high alert. Who knew what enemies might try to hurt him or his sparkling for revenge?

Exhaustion threatened to overtake him as he trudged through the door and into the dimly lit quarters. Strange. Usually Wheeljack would be home by then with a warmed cube of his favorite energon waiting for him. The jet struggled to shove aside the nervousness caused by the change and continued into the empty-looking apartment.

Another bolt of pain in his spark nearly had the red flyer hunching forward and around himself. He gritted his denta as it passed and he was able to continue his journey through the main living toward the berthroom. Where could Wheeljack fragging be? Usually his mate would be all over him by now, asking a million questions about how he was feeling, if he needed any-

Starscream froze at the sight that greeted him.

The berthroom had been completely rearranged. When they’d first moved into the high rise together, Starscream had insisted that they have a balcony off of the berthroom so that he could come and go as he pleased from there. Now, as Starscream stepped further into the room, he saw that the thick glass panels that sealed off the balcony were open and the berth had been pushed right up to where they would close for the night cycle. It was exactly where the seeker had wanted it to be in the beginning before his grounder conjunx had begged him to have the berth further inside the room and away from the drop off.

Curtains of transparent red and gold hung from the glass panel doors around the berth and wafted lightly in the breeze. Starscream felt his spark ache anew at the sight of the gently floating cloth. A set of chimes dangled from somewhere out on the balcony, offering another means of feeling the air movement without the jet actually being in flight. At this stage in the carrying process it was impossible for him to transform. The feeling of wind eased some of the stress caused by his being grounded.

Cautiously, Starscream approached the berth itself, taking in the assortment of items on it. There were numerous blankets and pillows piled on it, all of different colors and weights. The seeker ran a talon tip across one of the pillows and felt himself melt a bit at the softness of it. At that moment, a breeze filtered into the room and set the chimes singing and the curtains dancing.

Only then did Starscream recognize what he was seeing. Tears welled up and he couldn’t quite stop them from spilling down his faceplates. _Slagging carrier hormones. _Hurriedly and giving a quick glance around the berthroom, the red mech knuckled them away. What had gotten into him? It was like he was suddenly going soft.__

__“Star?”_ _

__The jet turned away from the balcony to spot his mate in the berthroom doorway. Wheeljack’s battle mask was in place, but the flashes of his helm fins told Starscream of the white mech’s nervousness. The seeker gestured around the room with a hand, gaze never leaving his mate. “Did you do this?”_ _

__“Uhm, yes. I was tryin' to help you nest. Make all of this easier on you.”_ _

__Starscream cast a glance back at the fluttering curtains, the copious amounts of bedding, the open balcony windows. He rebooted his vocalizer quickly, hoping that the speedster wouldn’t notice. “It will suffice, I suppose.”_ _

__Wheeljack’s battle mask retracted to show a beaming smile on his face. “It’s a start then.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I saw this post on Tumblr about Vosian culture and I kind of used it as inspiration for Starscream's nest.
> 
> https://pessimisticshape.tumblr.com/post/171444428326/vosian-aesthetic-i-want-to-believe-that-vos-has-a


	9. Chapter 9

Despite it being the most painful and dangerous part of the carrying process, Starscream refused to go see the medic when the newspark started to drop. The seeker didn’t want anyone to see him so vulnerable and insisted that things would be fine without any kind of anesthetic.

Wheeljack forced himself to stay still as he watched his mate curl tightly around himself. Starcsream lay in the middle of his berth-nest and released a keen every few kliks as the newspark began to tear away from his spark. Every hoarse cry made Wheeljack’s own spark break as he watched his conjunx flinch where he was nestled in the blankets.

The seeker refused to let Wheeljack touch him. Every time the scientist tried, he was driven back with a fierce hiss or the swat of a talon-tipped hand. Starscream appeared to be weakening quickly and soon he wasn’t nearly as opposed when Wheeljack came closer. “Star, please tell me what I can do. Please.”

“Don’t touch me!”

“Shh, I’m not. But there has to be somethin' I can do to help you through this.”

Starscream opened his mouth to reply but instead released a pained moan, his optics going glassy. When he finally came around, the jet sagged to lay on his side as he dragged in a few labored breathes. “Just go- go-”

“No, Star. I’m staying.” Wheeljack racked his processor, trying to remember some of the things that Windblade had told him about the carrying process. Conversing her had been an information dump and the datapad he’d used for notes was down in his lab.

Not caring if Starscream decided to claw him or not, the scientist crawled into the nest and pulled his shaking mate against him. The jet’s frame was cold, all of his energy being pulled inward and toward his spark. Wheeljack knew that the seeker’s spark was literally rupturing so that the newspark could be freed. Once released, it would move down into its developing frame. The thought of the agony that his conjunx must be feeling drove desperation into Wheeljack’s own spark. There had to be something-

“Let’s merge.”

“What? No!”

“Why not? It’s what your trine would do. They would take some of the strain for you-“

“How do you-? Nevermind! We aren’t-” Starscream’s body seized again and a splintered croak of static erupted from his slack mouth.

Wheeljack cradled his mate against his chest plates, lightly kissing his helm vents. Real worry set in for the white speedster when Starscream scrabbled at his own chest with his hand, drawing scratches across his own cockpit glass. Quickly, Wheeljack reached and trapped the jet’s wrist in his hand, stopping him from causing himself any further damage. “Star, this ain’t normal. Let me help you.”

Exhausted optics rolled in Starscream’s helm until they found the concerned face of his mate. “Said- no-“

“Slag it all! Don’t you know that you could die from this? Your spark could fail! You weren’t meant to do this part alone.”

The jet looked down, panting lightly through his mouth. The exhaustion was pulpable in his field as he lifted the hand not in Wheeljack’s hold to his chest. It took the scientist a moment to understand that Starscream was trying to manually trigger his chest plates apart.

As the spent seeker’s helm lolled against his shoulder, Wheeljack manually triggered Starscream’s chest plates open, dragging his finger gently up the seam. Instinctively, the plates opened at the light touch, exposing the jet’s spark to his mate. Even though he was no medic, Wheeljack could see that there was something very wrong.

The spark was spasming in its casing, violently whipping against the sides. It’s beat was irregular and halting as sparks flew from it. As Starscream tensed again, the speedster saw the newspark on the bottom edge, pushing outward with every spin of its carrier’s spark. The seeker jerked and released a thin wail as the newspark immitted a white light where it scraped against the inner wall of the spark chamber. When Wheeljack looked closer, he could see that the newspark was caught between the raw, melting spark chamber wall and Starscream’s thrashing spark.

When the scientist understood was he was seeing, he nearly panicked. The newspark had begun to dim as it fought to free itself from the spark casing that it had gotten caught on. As it remained caught up against the chamber, Starscream’s spark had trouble turning, tearing its connection to the newspark every time it tried to spin. If Wheeljack didn’t intervene and fast, he could lose both of them.

“Listen to me, Star. I know what we have to do. It’s gonna to hurt and I’m so sorry-“

“Hu-urry- ‘Jack-“

Placing a brief kiss on his conjunx’s lax mouth, Wheeljack steeled himself before reaching a hand into the jet’s chest. Sure, he would’ve rather had tools to do the procedure. But by the way the newspark had begun to flicker, there was no time for something more professional or sanitary than his hand.

Trying to keep from shaking, the scientist reached into his conjunx’s flailing spark. Immediately, the swirling depths reacted as they rose to lash around the intruding finger. Even though it burnt the sensors out on his fingertips, Wheeljack pressed on until he reached the newspark. The tiny life brightened for a moment as it’s sire’s hand touched it, like it knew that he was there to help. 

Wheeljack took a steadying breath before he set his finger against the spark chamber wall and pushed.

Starscream stiffened, his optics flaring white and the seeker’s field roiled around Wheeljack, a strange mixture of agony and pleasure. Ignoring it and focusing on saving both his mate and sparkling, the scientist pushed the chamber wall back further, almost bending the delicate metal permanently. Soon, it was pushed back far enough that the caught newspark was able to slip back into the current of Starscream’s pulsating core. Around his hand, Wheeljack could feel the seeker relax as the pain eased to something more manageable.

Before he had a chance to change his mind, Wheeljack triggered his own chest armor and pulled Starscream’s face into his neck. The last thing he heard was the scream of his mate as their spark’s collided.

Anguish. It felt like he was burning, like Wheeljack had died and fallen straight into the Pit. The scientist had had his face mangled, had had acid splashed across his plating. None of it compared to the feeling of his mate’s raw spark as the newspark was freed and finally began to separate from its carrier’s.

Wheeljack had known that the newspark’s separation was painful for the carrier. But combined with the damage to Starscream spark and spark chamber, it bordered on unbearable.

Outside of his existence within the merge, Wheeljack could feel the seeker trying to pull away, trying to escape the joining of their sparks. And that’s when the scientist felt it, deep underneath the pain. It was the words Starscream couldn’t make himself say, printed right there in the jet’s agonized core. It was the reason that Starscream was trying to break the merge.

The treacherous, trust-no-one, ex-Decepticon didn’t want to share his pain with his mate. He didn’t want Wheeljack to feel what he was suffering through. Starscream cared about him, the scientist had known that much, had even trusted him enough to become conjunx endurae. But Starscream had never said the words out loud. Now, amidst the fracturing of the jet’s vulnerable, wounded spark, Wheeljack felt the unspoken word beneath it all.

The merge ended abruptly as the newspark separated at last and began its journey down to the gestation tank.

Wheeljack felt disoriented by the sudden lack of pain as he was thrown from the merge and back into his own body. His arms were still in pace, locked tightly around his mate’s still body. When the ex-Wrecker finally gained the strength to move, he lay a hand over Starscream’s closed chest plates. Beneath the scarlet armor, he could feel the faint but definitive humming of a recovering spark. Thank Primus.

He rested back into the soft nest, continuing to clutch his mate to his chest. Wheeljack knew that Starscream would likely be angry with him when he finally emerged from stasis. Though he hated being the focus of the seeker’s ire, he found that he didn’t care. The scientist reached to pet the sensitive plating that made up one of Starscream’s wings as he pondered what he’d discovered while in the merge. 

The thought put a smile on his face as he slowly fell into recharge. Wheeljack nuzzled against the helm tucked beneath his chin. “I love you, too, Star. I love you, too.”


	10. Chapter 10

“You did _what?! _”__

__Wheeljack managed to keep himself from flinching under the irate medic’s gaze. “I had no choice under the circumstances-“_ _

__“You could’ve called a medic! Any medic!” Ratchet’s optics flashed as he gave the scientist his trademark glare as he looked out from the screen. “You had no idea of what could have happened, especially after all the trauma he suffered. You could’ve-“_ _

__“Died?”_ _

__The former CMO clamped his mouth shut and looked away. Wheeljack called Ratchet the moment that the scientist had been sure his mate was in a peaceful, painless recharge. He’d recounted the events leading up to the merge and then after to the medic. To say the least, Ratchet had been less than pleased when Wheeljack admitted to risking his own life for the sake of stabilizing the jet’s spark._ _

__Ratchet sighed heavily before rubbing his hand down his face to pinch his nasal bridge. “How is he now? He needs to see a medic, but I know that that won’t happen.”_ _

__“I can’t make him. He’s resting now and I’ve been usin’ the scanner to track the newspark’s progress.”_ _

__“And?”_ _

__“It had almost reached the gestation tank as of this cycle’s start.”_ _

__Ratchet looked thoughtful for a moment. “That’s rather quick for this being his first sparkling. You said Starscream hasn’t come online since this all began yestercycle?”_ _

__“That’s right. I’m worried about his fuel levels and the spark casing. It looked like it melted a little under the strain.”_ _

__“And you do have some mixed medical grade ready?”_ _

__“Yes.” Wheeljack hung his helm, visibly worn out. He hadn’t recharged since the ordeal the cycle prior and it was beginning to wear him down. Most of the nightcycle had been spent keeping watch over his conjunx, waiting for the jet to revive. The scientist had carefully mixed some fuel for when Starscream came online, infusing it with extra shavings and minerals._ _

__“Wheeljack, you need recharge yourself.” The speedster looked back up at the screen, optics hazy. Ratchet’s voice was far softer than usual with none of the harsh reprimanding tone that it usually held. “Getting run down won’t help Starscream at all.”_ _

__“I know. I don’t wanna miss anything though.”_ _

__“I understand. It’s likely that I would be the same way if I were in your position and it was Drift in there.” Ratchet paused for a moment. “Merging with Starscream was dangerous and I’m not condoning it by any means. All the same… it likely saved his life. I would’ve done the same thing under the circumstances.”_ _

__Wheeljack offered up a watery smile and shifted his peds. “I had to do somethin’. He couldn’t wait.”_ _

__Ratchet moved in his seat, releasing an old mech grunt of discomfort as he did. “Stay with him until he comes around. When he does, get that fuel into him and _do not merge _. I don’t care what’s going on, you don’t pull something like that again. Understood?”___ _

____Even though the fearsome ambulance may as well have been in a different universe with how far away he was, Wheeljack still ducked his helm under the medic’s glare. He nodded silently and kept his gaze down as the former CMO sighed for likely the hundredth time since Wheeljack called. “Call me if anything changes, Wheeljack. And go see a medic yourself.”_ _ _ _

____As the scientist closed the comm. from his end, they both knew that that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Wheeljack wouldn’t leave his mate to visit a medic._ _ _ _

____Wheeljack stared at the dark screen for a few moments longer before retreating to the berthroom. As he went, he took the cube of fresh medical grade with him. Starscream would need it when he finally woke._ _ _ _

____As the ex-Wrecker moved to get back into the nest, he grabbed the scanner off of the side table. With practiced fingers, Wheeljack activated it and calibrated the sensors. He then turned to his mate on the berth._ _ _ _

____Starscream was very still, his plating cool to the touch as the scientist ran a hand across his wing’s broad expanse. Waving the scanner over the seeker’s distended torso, Wheeljack began searching for the newspark within. He was surprised when the device beeped immediately, signaling that the tiny spark had been found. The speedster made a quick judgement based on the location and guessed that the newspark had settled in its own frame. “It didn’t waste any time, did it?”_ _ _ _

____Placing the scanning wand back on the side table, Wheeljack wished that he had something more high-tech so that he could be sure. The scanner was of his own creation, something he’d built during the war to test for any sparkling activity at all. It was only meant to be used at the front line and wasn’t 100% accurate-_ _ _ _

____“Why’d you close the doors?”_ _ _ _

____The voice from the berth made Wheeljack jump. Trying to hide the fact that he’d been surprised, he turned to find narrowed scarlet optics looking up at him. Starscream squirmed a little before trying to sit up and failing. “Well? Open them. It’s stuffy in here.”_ _ _ _

____“Great to see you, too, Star.”_ _ _ _

____The scientist barely managed to hide just how relieved he was by his mate’s awakening. As he stepped around the berth to open the doors, he felt Starscream watching him every step of the way. “I said ‘no.’ Why didn’t you listen to me?”_ _ _ _

____Wheeljack felt the breeze rush in the moment that he pushed back the sliding glass door. He allowed himself to feel it for a moment before moving back and away from the balcony’s edge. “You would’ve died. That’s what a trine would’ve done to help you, right?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes… but I said ‘no’ and you did it anyway.”_ _ _ _

____“Would you’ve rather I let you go, Star?” The seeker’s moment of hesitation was enough of an answer for Wheeljack. “The point is that you’re here. Everything’s gonna be alright now.”_ _ _ _

____Something crossed the jet’s features. “The sparkling?”_ _ _ _

____“Far as I can tell, it’s combined with its frame.”_ _ _ _

____Starscream picked at one of the tasseled pillows with his talons. “That’s good.”_ _ _ _

____The scientist shrugged before he made his way into the nest. “Yeah, it is. You scared me pretty good yestercycle.”_ _ _ _

____Starscream didn’t respond and instead snuggled up against his mate’s warm chassis. Just when Wheeljack had accepted that he wasn’t going to get a response, the seeker placed a kiss on the underside of the scientist’s jaw. “Thank you.”_ _ _ _

____The whispered glyphs made the speedster clutch onto the other mech even more tightly. Wheeljack bent his helm and returned the kiss to Starscream’s forehelm. “Every time.”_ _ _ _


	11. Chapter 11

“Wheeljack, there is no way in Pit that I’m putting my sparkling in that!”

“Why not?”

“Because knowing you, it could explode!”

The scientist feigned offense as he looked down at the crib he’d fashioned in his lab. It was very Earth-inspired, decorated minimally and with spiraled bars to enclose it. It had none of the fancy lights or gadgets hat most sparkling care stations included. No, this little crib was built of strong metal left in its silver form, unpainted. Inside, Wheeljack had padded the sleeping area with some of the finest scarlet cloth that he could find and afford. Wanting to surprise his mate, the white mech had opted against requesting funds for the crib from Starscream.

He watched as the jet circled the setup again, his optics cutting it to pieces as he went. “You should have asked me first. You know that I could have provided you with shanix for better… well, everything!”

“I think it turned out pretty good.” Wheeljack shrugged easily as the seeker shot him a glare, continuing to poke at the crib. 

“Well… it hasn’t collapsed yet. Or worse. I suppose it’s worth giving a try.”

The scientist rolled his optic’s skyward, wiping off any last smudges to the metal crib’s surface with a shop cloth. Though Starscream would never admit it, Wheeljack could tell that the flyer loved the crib. While building it, he’d made sure carve tiny planes and cars into crib’s headboard and footboard, finished them off with a sander to make sure they didn’t have any rough edges. 

When the jet had first seen them, he had run a careful talon across the several planes that adorned the headboard at the top. Wheeljack had based them off of Starscream’s alt mode and even included the seal of Vos in the midst of the planes. Despite what the seeker said, his lingering on those carvings followed by the quick blinking of his optics told Wheeljack that it met the fussy carrier’s standards.

“So,” Starscream ran a hand along the crib’s bottom, obviously pleased with the coloration of the blankets there, “you told me that you had surprises. Is there more hidden around here somewhere?”

Wheeljack grinned behind his battle mask and retreated to his workbench. There, he picked up a small box, careful not to jostle it too much. As he returned to his conjunx’s side, the scientist handed the box over to Starscream. “If you don’t like it, blame Windblade.”

“Windblade had something to do with this? Sorry, ‘Jackie,’ but I think this gift is doomed already.”

“At least look at it first.”

With a snort, Starscream sauntered over to the speedster’s work bench and took a seat on the stool there. Wheeljack watched as dainty talons lifted the lid from the box and then… the seeker froze.

“If you don’t like it, Star, I can-“

“Shh! Just…”

Starscream reached inside and lifted up the mobile from the box. As he lifted it, tiny jets came into view, all dangling at different lengths of wire as they began to spin on the various hoops that they were attached to. The red mech stared at the tiny seeker models as they chased each other around, all of them painted in traditional Vosian fashion. The one lowest on the spinning mobile was a scarlet seeker, one with gold paint applied inside it’s turbines and silver accents on its wings. It was such an exact replica of Starscream’s own altmode…

He turned to Wheeljack, his throat cables moving quickly. Starscream’s narrowed optics held no heat behind it as he whispered hoarsely. “Why would you- how did-“

The seeker looked back at the mobile once more before gently lowering it back into its box. Wheeljack stepped away to wipe an imaginary smudge from the crib’s frame, giving his mate a moment alone. When Starscream suddenly came up to him from behind, the scientist had no time to react as his mate twisted around and pressed a warm mouth to his closed battle mask. “Open up.”

Gladly, Wheeljack obliged and was immediately treated to a sloppy, passionate kiss. It lacked the poise that Starscream’s kisses usually had and the white speedster felt a little jolt of excitement. This kiss wasn’t staged or planned or graceful. This kiss was true. It was real. Wheeljack kissed back, putting all that he had into the lips on his.

Starscream moved closer and the scientist felt the seeker’s rounded belly bump into him. The feeling sent a pang of unexpected arousal straight to Wheeljack’s groin and he caught himself moaning into the jet’s insistent mouth. The jet pressed himself against the other mech, moaning with abandon as he slipped his glossa between the scientist’s parted lips. The kiss deepened further when Wheeljack’s hands slipped from the seeker’s waist to his aft and the ex-Wrecker gave the pert little rear a squeeze. 

Starscream felt the first thick glob of lubricant fall from his valve against the inside of his modesty panel. The sensation of his slickening valve nearly drove him wild and the seeker gripped onto the white mech as his hips gyrated back against the rough, roaming hands.

On the other end of the kiss, Wheeljack felt the sudden jump in his conjunx’s field and the intent in Starscream’s hip movements. The seeker’s spinal strut was arched beautifully as he tried to get even closer to his mate, continuously licking and biting at Wheeljack’s lips. Down behind his modesty panel, the speedster could feel the heat stirring as his spike head pushed insistently against the panel. He allowed himself a low groan as it gave away and his member burst free to bob between them.

Immediately, the thick spike was in Starscream’s hand, quickly stiffening as the seeker gave the shaft a few firm tugs. Just as Wheeljack reached to steady himself with a hand on his mate’s chest, the jet leaned in a licked up his audial. “I’ve always wanted you to frag me over your workbench. Have you fill me up while I make a mess of your precious experiments. Are you interested, Autobot?”

Wheeljack felt his spike give a hard twitch in Starscream’s hand at the seeker’s words and he looked down. The first pearl of prefluid beaded up from his slit and he felt his throat tighten as the seeker drew a thumb through it, spreading his sticky seed across the spike’s head. “C-Can’t say I’m opposed to the idea.”

“Perfect.” 

Another bruising kiss landed on Wheeljack’s mouth and he felt the red mech’s torso bump him again, heavy with his sparkling. A surge of adoration for his carrying mate was channeled straight to his interface array, causing electricity to jump between his spike and Starscream’s hand. “S-So you really d-do like it? The crib and the mobile?”

“It’ll do. I’d like it even better if your spike were inside me already.”

They didn’t leave Wheeljack’s lab for a long time.


	12. Chapter 12

Light poured through the closed sliding doors, washing the nest in warm color. Wheeljack had been awake for some time, simply watching over his sleeping mate. As the cycle began, the speedster was treated to quite the view as the city came alive down below. That, and he got to see Starscream’s plating bathed in morning glow.

The seeker lay on his back, the only position that was comfortable for him to sleep in. Wheeljack moved quietly, careful to avoid the stretched out wings as he settled himself alongside the jet. He ran a gentle hand over Starscream’s swollen torso, massaging the sore metal mesh. They’d been forced to remove the armor plating cycles ago to make room for the growing sparkling. To say the least, the seeker hadn’t been too happy about having his most vulnerable area so exposed without the armor covering his protoform.

It had been a long nightcycle. Starscream hadn’t been able to relax, constantly shifting and unable to decide if he wanted Wheeljack near or far. When he wasn’t smacking the scientist with his wings as he stirred up the berth, the jet was pacing the room rapidly, occasionally stopping to hold his belly in his hands. He would release a short moan or two before climbing back into the nest and starting the process over again.

As the light fell over his face, the seeker made a weak sound and turned away from it. Wheeljack continued to gently knead at the overstretched protoform of his mate’s belly, focusing his attention at the top where Starscream’s sternal strut began. “Easy, Star. I’m right here.”

Starscream wiggled until he could press his face under his mate’s jaw and he released a held vent against the cables. The red mech mumbled, still half in recharge. “Hurts.”

“I know it does. It should only be a few more cycles and then all this will be over.”

Lower on the berth, Starscream’s legs tensed and he sucked in a quick vent as he tried spreading himself out further. It was a futile bid to ease the pressure in his abdomen. Wheeljack moved his hand down to push his fingertips against the jet’s lower torso, just about the pelvic span. He continued massaging small circles, kissing the seeker’s helm. “You know, we haven’t talked about how this is gonna go. What we’re doin’ as far as where you wanna be and who’s gonna be there.”

The red flight frame struggled a second, his body tightening again as he tried to get his heavy middle into a more comfortable position. “Here. I want to have it here. No medical ward. It’s too open and anyone can just come in.”

Quickly taking some mental notes of preparations he would make, Wheeljack lifted one of his mate’s hands to kiss the back of it. “Have you chosen a medic? I’ll have to-“

“No medics.”

“Starscream, I ain’t gonna deliver our sparkling by myself in our quarters. There has to be a medic-“

“No!” The jet sucked in a sharp breath and moved a hand down to cup his belly. He pulled back just far enough to glare at his conjunx. “No medics. I don't trust any of them not to try something.”

The scientist sighed heavily and pulled away from the seeker. As he stood and made his way across the berthroom, Wheeljack could feel angry red optics on his spinal strut. “I can’t risk you or the sparkling. When the newspark detached, I almost lost you because you didn’t want a medic. Star, I can’t do that again.” He looked back at the jet as he began preparing a cube of medical grade. 

Starscream, instead of looking angry, was observing his mate with calm consideration. “Why don’t you just call Ratchet when it happens? I doubt the Lost Light needs their medic every klik of the cycle.”

“You’d be surprised. Why can’t you just pick a medic here?”

“I told you! No one here can be trusted. Ratchet knows everything about me, no thanks to you. He may as well be on standby.”

Wheeljack thought for a moment. “Maybe he can do better than that.” 

 

~o0o~

 

It hadn’t been all that long ago that the Lost Light visited. The ship had stopped in following an incident between the co-captains, an incident that had almost resulted in the death of Rodimus Prime. A jury had found Megatron at fault and decided that the best course of action would be to return the ex-warlord to Cybertron.

Starscream had been less than willing to cooperate with the Lost Light’s request. He had been more than happy to see Megatron go, expecting to never have to deal with his tormentor ever again. If it had been left up to the seeker from the beginning, Megatron would’ve been deactivated long ago. Wheeljack had eventually convinced his mate to allow the silver mech to be tried on Cybertron, sweetening the deal by suggesting that the jet be the one to choose the jury. Though few bots were loyal to Starscream, even fewer were to Megatron.

The transaction of the stasis-induced silver mech had only gone over recently; in fact, it had occurred during the earliest stages of Starscream’s carrying cycle. Knowing Rodimus, the Lost Light couldn’t have gotten far since then. There might be time for the Lost Light to circle back. 

Sure, it wasn’t exactly time effective or fuel efficient when the seeker could have any medic on Cybertron. But Wheeljack knew that when it came to Starscream and Rodimus, anything went, no matter how difficult or impractical. The scientist allowed himself to wonder briefly if the two would’ve been friends had they been on the same side during the war.

When he’d finally gotten his restless mate refueled and settled in their berth-nest, Wheeljack retreated to the main living area to call the Lost Light. As he sat on the couch and waited for the ship to answer, the speedster reviewed what he was going to say. But before he would figure out how to go about his request on his mate’s behalf, Rodimus Prime’s smiling face appeared on the screen. “Wheeljack! How’s it been?”

“Not too bad, not too bad. The ship?”

“Things are great actually. You’re never gonna guess what happened, ‘Jack-“

“Before you tell me, I have some news too. It’s why I called.” Wheeljack fidgeted, an action that was very unlike him.

From the screen, the prime watched his fellow ex-Wrecker struggle for words. “Wheeljack? What’s wrong?” Rodimus scooted closer to his screen, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What did he do?”

“What?”

“Did Starscream hurt you?”

Wheeljack started, optics blowing wide. “Primus no! No, no. I just…” The scientist forced himself to sit up straighter and willed away any lingering hesitation that he harbored. “Star is sparked.”

There was a pause on the Lost Light’s end before Rodimus’ face broke into a wide smile. “Yours?” Wheeljack nodded. “Well congratulations then! I’m happy for you. Honestly though, I didn’t expect you two to get together. Drift tried to tell me but...”

The scientist offered his own grin. “I didn’t expect it either.”

“Well, do I have a surprise for you then.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sparked!” 

Rodimus was practically glowing with excitement as the mustang stared at him through the screen. “You’re… Magnus?”

“Well, Minimus, but yeah! Ratchet found it not too long ago during a routine checkup! I still can’t believe it myself.”

Wheeljack watched the prime with fondness. He was truly happy for his former comrade, especially when the scientist considered Rodimus’ past. Like Starscream, the often careless captain had a run in with Megatron that nearly cost him his life. To see Rodimus safe and with a mech who loved him made Wheeljack’s own spark swell with happiness. “That’s great, Rodimus. Congrats yourself.”

The prime nodded, visibly preening under the attention. Wheeljack was reminded once more of how similar his own mate was to Rodimus Prime. “Anyway, is that why you called, ‘Jack? Because he’s sparked?”

“Yeah, I was hoping I could talk to you and Ratchet both. It’s urgent.”

“Sure, hold up.”

A faint ringing took up as Rodimus poked around on his console. Kliks later, the ever annoyed face of Ratchet appeared beside the prime’s in a split screen. “Rodimus, if this is about the- oh. Wheeljack. Wait, is Starscream-“

“Close. That’s why I’m calling you.” Wheeljack took a deep vent before continuing. “He refuses to have a medic there when the time comes. You know how paranoid he is. He said if he has to have one, then he won’t let anyone near him but you, Ratchet.”

Rodimus and Ratchet both stared at him from their ends of the screen. The scientist became acutely aware then of just how much he was asking of the Lost Light. It was ridiculous to expect them to turn around and come back-

The prime turned around and spoke quickly to someone off screen. A deep voice answered from over Rodimus’ shoulder and Wheeljack could see a shadow just of to the side. As the white speedster continued to watch the captain’s private conversation with whoever was beside him off-screen, Ratchet spoke up. “How has he been fuel-wise? Keeping everything down?”

“He hasn’t had any trouble since the first third. Everything has seemed pretty normal.”

“Any pain?”

“A lot of discomfort in his gestation tank. He’s not been able to get a good recharge for it.”

Ratchet pulled up a datapad and began quickly typing, his mouth a tight line. “When was the last time he visited a medic on-planet?”

Wheeljack flinched as he gave the answer, knowing that the former CMO wouldn’t approve. He looked away as Ratchet began to rant. “Why in Primus name has he not seen a medic recently?! He’s in the last stages of the carrying process and it’s been that long? There’s no way of knowing what the sparkling’s health is! Or if there will be potential complications! Are you his slagging mate or aren’t you? Why hasn’t he seen a medic?”

The angry shouting had gotten Rodimus attention and he’d turned back to the screen and away from the mech at his shoulder. “Ratchet, you-“

“No, I won’t calm down. Starscream has needed prenatal care this entire time and he obviously hasn’t been receiving it.”

Wheeljack withered under the medic’s ire and almost regretted calling. He managed to steel himself anyway and pushed on. “I can’t make Star do anything that he doesn’t want to do. You know his history, Ratchet. I won’t push him to do anything-”

“Perhaps in this case you should’ve.”

“Would you push Drift? With everything that’s happened to him?” Rodimus sat forward in his seat, fixing Ratchet in his sights. “It sounds to me like Screamer’s picked the medic that he wants. I think it’s pretty interesting that you’re the only one he trusts to be there.”

The former CMO snorted and folded his arms as Rodimus continued. “I’ve spoken to Ultra Magnus and he agrees that we change course immediately for Cybertron. You up for it Ratch?”

Wheeljack held his vents as the old medic stared down at him from the screen. “Of course I’m up for it. I said an oath didn’t I?”

“Alright then.” The young prime flashed Wheeljack a wink. “Let’s get this ship turned around, eh Mags? We’ve got a sparkling to deliver!”


	13. Chapter 13

“Well?”

“The Lost Light’s headed this way.”

Starscream nodded and lay his helm back down on one of the berth-nest’s surrounding pillows. His field wafted lazily around the scientist, heavy with contentment. As Wheeljack came closer, the seeker lifted a hand and reached toward him. “Can you… um…”

“Can I what?”

“Cuddle me. Now.”

The scientist chuckled as he climbed into the berth-nest next to his mate. “No ‘please’?” A swat to his helm only served to make Wheeljack laugh harder. “Okay, okay. I’m comin’.”

He wrapped Starscream in his arms, careful to avoid the seeker’s over-sensitive wings as he did. Early on, it had become apparent that the jet’s wings were growing increasingly touchy as the carrying process continued. Wheeljack had tried rubbing the tension out of them once, only for his mate to be rocked with an immediate and painful tactile overload. As he’d come down from it, Starscream had been disoriented and shook violently until the scientist finally got him to calm down again. Needless to say, there had been no more wing-play since.

Wheeljack bent and budged his seeker’s chin up with his nasal bridge. Once Starscream had lifted his helm, the white mech proceeded to sprinkle chaste kisses to the deep scars on the dark throat. The sensation forced a moan from Starscream’s vocalizer. Between kisses, Wheeljack murmured praises against the damaged fuel lines, like his words could banish them entirely.

It wasn’t long before they heard the telltale click of a panel sliding back. The jet keened as the scientist kept kissing his neck while slowly flicking and nudging Starscream’s swollen anterior node. “Oh… Oh, Wheeljack… yes-“

“I love you, Star… you’re so beautiful like this… so full of our sparkling…” The white mech was careful to work slowly, using the lightest of touches to bring his mate’s pleasure higher. He felt heat coiling low in his chassis, but pressed it back down. This was about easing the seeker’s discomfort. He would take care of himself later.

With a single direct press of his mate’s thumb, the seeker came with a gasp, his hips giving little jerks as his overload was drawn out. Wheeljack kissed the other mech’s trembling lips as his hand was soaked in Starscream’s release. The red mech panted through his mouth as he came down from the overload, his vent’s washing over the scientist’s face. He scrabbled uselessly at his mate’s hands until Wheeljack took him in his arms and pulled Starscream back against his chest. 

As he held his mate upright, the scientist ran a gentle hand over Starscream’s distended torso. The seeker winced and Wheeljack pulled his hand away. “Does just touchin' it hurt now?”

“It’s so tight-“ Starscream’s optics flew wide then. “Up! Up! Get me-“

But by the time the shocked speedster was out of the berth and trying to lift his mate, the seeker was purging. Unable to move quickly or very much at all, Starscream slumped back against the messed pillows, his intake opening and closing rapidly as more purge bubbled over the edge of his lips. The sight of it reminded Wheeljack anew of his dream and he instantly moved a hand up to his audial, preparing to comm. the nearest medic. “Star, talk to me-“

As soon as it had started, the purging was over. Starscream’s helm rolled where it rested on the pillows until he could look up at his mate. The sight of the seeker’s optics meeting his own nearly drew Wheeljack to his knees with relief. “Thank Primus.”

“Wha…?”

“It’s gonna be just fine. I’m gonna get this all cleaned up.” It was soon clear that Starscream was little out of it following the sudden onset of purging. He watched the scientist as Wheeljack pulled away the sodden sheets and pillows, optics a little too dull for his mate’s comfort.

“Hurts more, ‘Jack. Pressure.”

“You’re alright, Star-“

“’M sorry.”

_That _caught Wheeljack’s attention. Starscream never apologized for anything. He looked down at his conjunx, noting the way the seeker’s protoform was stretched taught across his sparkling-heavy abdomen. Starscream had a naturally thin frame and to see so much stress on his slender chassis made Wheeljack cringe. How were they going to do this? Quickly, the scientist made it to his peds, determined to find a medic-__

__“NO!”_ _

__Wheeljack felt his wrist caught in a weak grip. Even though he could’ve easily broken away, the scientist could bring himself to do so as he knelt back down beside his mate. “We can’t do this anymore. We didn’t think this through and this is far too hard on you-“_ _

__“You’re leaving me?”_ _

__The question took Wheeljack off guard and he froze in his tracks. Starscream was looking up at him, cheeks void of color and optic’s dark. The seeker, still smeared with his own purge, cold to the touch and heavy with sparkling, truly thought Wheeljack would leave him. How had the scientist failed so profoundly?_ _

__Wheeljack dropped back to his knees beside the dirtied berth-nest. “Starscream… I’m never gonna leave you. Do you understand? I wanna have a medic come and take a look at you though. This ain’t normal, not this late in the carrying cycle.”_ _

__“Please, no, Wheeljack. Please, don’t leave right now.” The proud seeker was nearly reduced to tears in the face of his mate leaving him, even if it was just to get a medic._ _

__The scientist settled down on the berth once more and soothed his mate into a fitful recharge. As he looked down at Starscream, he couldn’t help but notice the shallow quality of his mate’s vents. The moment that he was certain the seeker wouldn’t wake up, Wheeljack slipped out from under Starscream and began gathering the worst of the soiled bedding into his arms._ _

__Upon depositing the mess into the cleaning receptacle, The scientist turned to the televid screen. He knew that it was late on Cybertron, but he had no doubt that the former CMO of the Lost Light was up working on something or other. As quickly as he could, Wheeljack sent a call out to the ship._ _

__Just as he expected, the eternally done countenance of Ratchet soon graced his screen. Before the medic could even get out a greeting, Wheeljack was talking a hundred miles an hour. “He’s purgin’ again, he’s in pain, he can’t fuel, Ratchet, and I can’t help him, he won’t see a medic but I can see it, I can see it’s hurtin’ him-“_ _

__“Hold on a fragging klik. You said he’s purging again? This late in the carrying cycle?”_ _

__“Yeah, he just did not too long ago. He was pretty out of it when it was over-“_ _

__“I need you to calm down, Wheeljack-“_ _

__“How far away are you?” The desperation in the scientist’s voice wasn’t lost on the medic as Wheeljack cast a glance behind himself, back at the berthroom door. After a moment, he looked back up at the ambulance on the screen. “Something is wrong, Ratchet. I don’t know what to do.”_ _

__“You have to stay calm for him. We’re not too far out as Rodimus has kept full thrusters on since you called. He seems pretty keen on getting me back to you as fast as he can. Can Starscream refuel at all?”_ _

__“I haven’t tried since he purged earlier.”_ _

__“Alright. If he purges after his next fuel, you know how to start a drip, I assume?” At Wheeljack’s nod, Ratchet continued. “Good. Do that if he can’t hold anything down. Monitor his core temperature and let me know if anything fluctuates. Also, if there is any discharge at all from his valve, note its color and contact me immediately. Keep him as comfortable as you can until we arrive and give him dampeners, but only enough to dull the pain. Not enough to take his senses, understood? He’ll need all of them when he goes into labor. I’ll be able to give him better relief when we get there.”_ _

__“How long until you get here?”_ _

__Ratchet sighed. “At least three cycles.”_ _

__Wheeljack turned to gaze at the berthroom door again, envisioning his recharging conjunx behind it. The scientist prayed that it would be soon enough._ _


	14. Chapter 14

It wasn’t soon enough.

The third cycle after he’d called Ratchet began normally enough. After the violent purge a few cycles earlier, Starscream had successfully held down two rounds of medical grade. He’d turned his helm away at the third however, his lips pressed tightly together. 

Wheeljack had just managed to prop his mate up on the mound of pillows when he felt it. The jet’s body was hot, too hot for it to just be caused by his engines. As he pulled back from his mate, the scientist looked into Starscream’s optics and found them hazy with pain and fear. “Star? Sweetspark, can you hear me?”

The seeker had never been a fan of pet names, but Wheeljack couldn’t stop himself as he tried to comfort his suffering conjunx. Starscream grimaced slightly before surprise came over his face. “Wheeljack? Did you spill energon…?”

“Energon? No, it’s-“

The speedster felt the wetness too, leaving the blankets under them slick. As Wheeljack sat up on his knees in confusion, he felt his mate stiffen on the berth. It was then that Wheelajck recognized what was happening. It was starting. It was starting and the Lost Light hadn’t arrived yet.

Starscream released a sigh as the seal on his gestation tank gave away, relieving some of the intense pressure. It didn’t last long though, as he soon figured out what was happening. He immediately began to thrash around on the berth, trying to get up and out of the fluid still spilling from behind his panels. Panic-blinded optics searched frantically for Wheeljack as the seeker clawed at the slippery covers. “’Jack- hnnnnn-“

The scientist made his way off of the berth, shaking violently as he tried to make his processor function. “Shhh, it’s gonna be okay, just stay calm-“

“Don’t leave-“

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Star. I’m with you every step.” Wheeljack quickly took his mate’s shoulders in his hands and pushed Starscream back down against the pillows.  
Next, he pulled the seeker’s trembling legs apart until he could see what they were dealing with. “Open your panels, Star.”

The seeker complied immediately, for once glad to be told what to do. The moment that Starscream’s panels retracted, another discharge of thin fluid burst from his valve. Wheeljack noted the mixture of silvery birthing fluids mixed with the glowing pink of energon.

“Wheeljack-“

Starscream made a strange choking sound as the first wave of pain took hold. Instead of crying out as the scientist expected him to, the jet’s mouth clamped shut as he made a low moan. His body locked up and quaked with strain as Wheeljack bent lower to see his mate’s oozing valve. “Don’t push yet, you’re not ready to push-“

The entrance was swollen, but not in an aroused way. It looked tender and angry, the delicate metal mesh shiny with how tight it was. Energon was flowing into the area, making causing the valve lips to swell and become even more sensitive. Wheeljack grimaced at the sight, knowing it had to be painful and that it would only get worse as time went on. Thankfully, his mate already seemed to be dilating.

The jet sagged back on the berth, his field barely perceivable on the edge of Wheeljack’s own. The scientist looked up to find Starscream’s optics dim and void as he looked at the ceiling. “Starscream? Star, you better stay with me-“

Wheeljack stood and bolted from the room, activating a link to the Lost Light as he went. Behind him, his mate didn’t seem to notice his departure.  
It seemed to take forever before Ratchet picked up. “Wheeljack, how-“

“IT’S HAPPENING! HE’S-“

“Wheeljack! Panicking won’t help either of you in the slightest.”

Wheeljack fought to calm himself when he heard a strong wail from the berthroom. The medic on the screen heard it too and his optics widened. “How long ago did his seal break?”

“Just now! We just woke up and he’s already havin’ contractions-“

Ratchet seemed genuinely concerned for the first time. For Starscream to already be having contractions so soon after his seal breaking… “We entered Cybertron’s atmosphere not too long ago and will dock soon. Listen to me very carefully, Wheeljack. No matter what happens, you keep him awake and talking to you. You stay calm like everything is fine-“

“It’s not fine, is it, Ratchet?”

“I can’t say without being there. Even for a flight frame, everything seems to be going far faster than normal. I’m worried that there might be a-“

A scream interrupted the medic, this time ending in a strangled noise. Wheeljack barely stopped himself from running back to the room. He spared the CMO a final, pleading look. “Get here, please.”

“We’re coming. Go to him.”

The call closed behind him as Wheeljack burst back into the berthroom. The seeker’s helm spun to face him, a feral snarl on his drawn lips. Starscream’s fangs were exposed and his wings hiked threateningly until he recognized that it was his mate in the doorway. Almost immediately, the jet’s defensive stance dropped as Wheeljack came further into the room. The flight frame released a soft keening sound. “Help- Wheeljack-“

“I’m here, it’s gonna be okay.”

“Where’s Ratchet?”

“They’re almost here.”

As another wave of pain rippled through Starscream’s body, the seeker trilled in the back of his vocalizer. Wheeljack had never heard the sound come from his mate before and he was worried at first until he recognized it. It was an instinctive call, a sound made by flyers to call their offspring to them. It was a sound distinctive to each flight frame, different enough in tone to recognized by sparklings when it came to finding their creators.

Though there was no sparkling to call yet, Starscream’s call for his creation through his own pain made something burn in Wheeljack’s spark. Though the seeker looked embarrassed by the display when the contraction finally subsided, the scientist couldn’t help but press an adoring kiss to his mate’s forehelm. 

The sound had sparked something protective within him, something that demanded that Wheeljack defend his mate against whatever was causing him pain. Instinct took hold when the jet made the sound again. Nothing else in the universe mattered to the scientist beyond trying to comfort his conjunx.

So when the berthroom door flew open some time later, Wheeljack spun around to face the door with a savage snarl. His battle mask was fully retracted, allowing whoever was entering to see the grotesque scarring that marred his face. With no care other than to protect his mate, Wheeljack didn’t even notice that his battle mask was aside.

Ratchet froze in the doorway, throwing his arm out before Windblade and First Aid could stumble passed him and into the berthroom. At the sight of the scientist curled protectively over his mate, the medic knew that old instincts had taken over. “Wheeljack.”

Before Ratchet had even said his name, the speedster optics had widened as embarrassment entered his field. “Primus, I- I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s completely normal. May I come in?” The old medic took the medical kit from First Aid and stepped into the room slowly, giving the soon-to-be sire a moment to adjust. Blinking rapidly, Wheeljack nodded. 

As the former CMO came to the berthside, the scientist kept a careful optic on the others at the door. Noticing, Ratchet spoke without turning back to them. “Stay outside and close the door. I’ll call you when I need you.”

Windblade and First Aid complied. As the door clicked shut, Wheeljack’s field relaxed significantly. Ratchet’s attention moved then from Wheeljack to the seeker laying in the berth. What he saw sent shock through the battle-hardened medic’s spark.

Starscream’s optics were dark, offline as another contraction took hold. Ratchet watched the seeker’s torso ripple and tighten as Starscream’s slender build bore down on the sparkling within. A quiet, too-weak chirr escaped from the red mech and his entire body convulsed before falling slack once more. It was becoming increasingly clear that Starscream was too exhausted to continue for much longer.

The labor was going far too fast to be normal. Ratchet sat the kit on the berth and opened it, pulling out a tube of gel and an ultra sound. The medic wanted to grumble at Wheeljack again for not taking the seeker to see a medic, but stopped himself when he looked at the scientist beside him. Wheeljack was shaking as he looked down at his mate, tears standing in his optics.

Before he began, Ratchet reached across and gripped Wheeljack’s arm. “He needs you to be strong through this. If you can’t stay and help, then you have to go. I can call First Aid in.”

“I… I can stay, it’s just…” The scientist gaze sorrowfully down at the moaning seeker in his berth. “I did this to him. It’s my fault-“

“This is not something you did to him. This sparkling something beautiful that you created together. Now, are you going to help me?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hold this.” Ratchet pushed the portable ultrasound into the speedster’s hand and went about coating Starscream’s lower belly with gel. 

The red mech flinched away from his touch, his optics brightening slightly. Wheeljack bent down to look his conjunx in the face. “Ratchet’s here. It’s gonna be okay.” Starscream didn’t respond beyond shuttering his optics and pawing around for the scientist’s hand. Wheeljack took it in his own, rubbing his thumb across the jet’s knuckles.

Wheeljack passed off the ultrasound wand to Ratchet’s waiting hand. The medic moved down the berth a little before plugging the ultrasound’s cord into his own medical port. Soon, the ambulance’s optics went dark as he pushed the wand’s head against Starscream’s abdomen and began the scan.

Starscream’s optics came further online and fixed on his mate’s face. The scientist leaned forward to brush his lips across the seeker’s coolant-drenched forehelm. A small smile formed on Starscream’s face in response and stayed even as the next contraction tore through his failing frame. It sent a cold chill through Wheeljack’s lines to see his agonized mate suddenly so peaceful. “It’ll be over soon, Star.”

“I know.” The seeker’s smile broadened momentarily as his body stiffened further and Wheeljack suddenly caught the slightest feel of Starscream’s field. It was then that he understood.

Starscream didn’t think he was going to make it. 

Before Wheeljack could respond, Ratchet cursed from down the berth. Keeping his optics on his mate, the scientist spoke in a hoarse whisper. “What is it?”

“Well, I know why he was purging and why this is going so quickly. I also know why he’s having so much trouble.”

Tearing his gaze away from his deteriorating mate, Wheeljack looked up at the former CMO where he was still hunched over Starscream. “Can you fix it?”

“It’s not something that I can fix.” Ratchet pulled the ultrasound away from Starscream’s distended belly and unplugged it from his medical port. When the medic’s optics came back online, he turned them to the anxiously waiting sire-to-be. “Wheeljack, you’re about to be a sire-”

“I know that, Ratchet-“

“-of three. At least two are flight frames.” The medic gave him a tight smile as Wheeljack allowed his mouth to drop open. “Congratulations. Looks like you’re having a trine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Wheeljack is in way over his helm.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suuuuper long chapter, but I think you'll forgive me... maybe.

The room around Wheeljack seemed to spin as Ratchet took his shoulders and sat him down on the berth. _Three sparklings! _Primus, help them.__

__There had been instances before the war of split-spark twins being born. Rarely did grounders have more than one sparkling at a time; two was definitely pushing it. In contrast, seekers and other flight frames had the occasional trine birth, though it was notoriously deadly for the carrier._ _

__The theory was that the endangerment of the flight frames as a race led to them being more likely to have litters of sparklings. It was a survival mechanism that often proved deadly for the carrier, designed to create three lives while taking one in their place. It was an effective trade off when it came to the race as a whole._ _

__Wheeljack turned away from Ratchet as the reality began to hit him that his conjunx could die. He had been the one that talked Starscream into carrying. It had been him who had insisted that they could do it, that everything would be fine. He’d promised to take care of the seeker every step of the way. Now, Starscream might be taken from him. It was all his fault._ _

__A hand landed heavily on Wheeljack’s shoulder and the scientist’s turned to look at the medic. Ratchet’s face was pinched, but his field reflected his determined resolve. “He isn’t dead yet so stop mourning. I’m going to call in the other two now. I need all the help that I can get if Starscream has any hope of getting through this.”_ _

__“What do you need me to do?” Wheeljack steadied himself, taking a deep vent. No matter what happened, he knew that he had to be present and strong. He had no choice._ _

__Ratchet was silent as he commed the others outside. Immediately, Windblade and First Aid entered the room, their faces grim as the former CMO relayed the situation to them. Wheeljack didn’t miss the way that Windblade’s field paled considerably at the revelation of there being three sparklings. Being a flight frame herself, she was well aware of the risks involved and what was at stake._ _

__The seeker’s protoform had been stretched so thin that Wheeljack could see the movements of the sparklings inside as they fought their way into the world. He watched as First Aid came forward and injected a mild sedative between the plates of Starscream’s arm._ _

__Windblade left the room and the scientist realized that he’d barely heard a single thing that Ratchet had been saying. He tuned in just in time to catch the end of it. “-only way. It would be nearly impossible for a natural approach.” Ratchet drew a fingertip across the lower edge of Starscream’s belly, just above his interface array. “It’s the only option that ensures the survival of all the sparklings.”_ _

__Wheeljack took his mate’s hand back into his own, noticing how cold and limp it was in his grasp. He lowered his helm as Ratchet and First Aid began preparing the instruments they would need. The scientist pressed his cheek against Starscream’s and allowed a tear to leak from his optic as he squeezed both optics closed. “I can’t make you stay, but I’m begging you not to go. Please don’t leave me, Star, please…”_ _

__When she returned, Windblade had a bundle of clean blankets in her arms. The femme’s face was resolved as he arrived at Wheeljack’s side and lay her cargo within easy reach of the two medics. She didn’t interrupt the ex-Wrecker’s desperate pleas to his mate and turned to find Ratchet watching as well._ _

__First Aid had just finished sanitizing the last of the surgical blades when Starscream’s optics flew wide and bright._ _

__A screech broke from the seeker’s mouth and his spinal strut bowed upward as another contraction arced through his frame. This one seemed to drag on longer than the others, causing sparks to spit from Starscream’s joints as they locked up. First Aid moved to hold the red mech’s legs apart as the last waves of the contraction began to fade._ _

__The new CMO was about to release Starscream’s legs when he did a double take. “Ratchet, get down here!”_ _

__Ratchet dropped the cloth he’d been using to prep the seeker’s abdomen for the incision and made his way down to his fellow medic. His optical ridges shot up when he saw what had caught First Aid’s attention. “Oh, Pit-“_ _

__Starscream’s valve was soaked in energon, indicating a likely tear in the inner wall. But that wasn’t the focus of Ratchet’s surprise. It was what he could see through the mess of fluids._ _

__A tiny helm had begun to crown with the last push._ _

__As they watched, the jet’s body shook with exertion, his body bearing down again. Starscream gasped as the first sparkling’s helm popped free from his valve. Wheeljack could hear the medic’s moving around, frantically trying to free the sparkling. Ratchet murmured to his colleague that it was too late to go in through the seeker’s abdomen to retrieve the sparklings. They had no choice but to try for a valve birth after all._ _

__The scientist didn’t look up, keeping his face pressed against his mate’s as he whispered encouragement into Starscream’s audial. The seeker’s vents were ragged as he struggled through another hard contraction. “Come on, Star, you can do it. I know you can-“_ _

__One more vent caught in the seeker’s throat followed by the audible rush of lubricant from further down the berth. Wheeljack didn’t move, didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. He barely registered the soft hand that landed on his shoulder until Windblade’s voice broke through his focused murmuring. “Wheeljack. Wheeljack, look at what I have.”_ _

__The ex-Wrecker hesitated, afraid that if he left his mate for a single klik Starscream would expire. When he finally opened his optics and lifted his helm, Wheeljack caught sight of the bundle in the femme’s arms._ _

__Its optics were closed as the sparkling gurgled peacefully in Windblade’s arms, wrapped snuggly in a white blanket. From what he could see of the tiny creature, it was an almost exact copy of Starscream: dark helm, red chassis, a sharp little nasal bridge._ _

__As the stunned sire took his creation into his arms, the little flight frame opened its optics to look up at him. It had distinctive violet optics that fixated directly on his own, like it knew exactly who Wheeljack was. It wriggled in the cloth until two stubby arms escaped to reach up toward its sire’s face._ _

__Distantly, Wheeljack heard the medics continue working over his mate. The scientist stared down at his first born as the sparkling’s fingers batted at his scarred mouth. It released a worried little churr as it touched the damaged metal and Wheeljack turned his helm to kiss the tiny palm. “Why hello there.”_ _

__“’Jack?”_ _

__Wheeljack looked down to find his mate searching for him. Starscream was panting hard as he tried turning toward the sound of his offspring’s voice. The scientist knelt down beside the berth until the seeker could see the sparkling that he held in his arms. “Right here, Star. Look.”_ _

__The seeker blinked at the sparkling as it reached a tiny hand toward him. Delicate claws adorned each of the flyer’s tiny fingertips as it stretched toward its carrier. Wheeljack held it forward until a dainty palm rested against Starscream’s face._ _

__The red flight frame blinked at his creation, savoring the peaceful moment before the contractions started up again. It was so small, so beautiful, so _perfect. _Over the top of it’s helm, Starscream could see that Wheeljack was struggling to control his halting vocalizer. They had made this precious, innocent being. The thought that someone as used up as himself, a mech who’d killed and destroyed for millions of years, was capable of creating something so beautiful… it moved the jet more than he would ever let on.___ _

____The break was short-lived as the next sparkling dropped lower toward the exhausted seeker’s narrow hips. Ratchet was fighting to stabilize the jet’s spark as it spun out of control with the next hard contraction, connecting wires into his medical port. The whole while, Starscream’s optics never left the sparkling in his mate’s arms, even when the light in them started to dim dangerously._ _ _ _

____“Give me one more, Starscream- one more hard push-“_ _ _ _

____“Helm clear. The shoulders are giving me trouble-“_ _ _ _

____“Please, Star, I know you can-“_ _ _ _

____If it had been any other time, the seeker would’ve shaken off the encouragement, deeming it useless and worthy of someone weaker than himself. But he could almost feel the strength ebbing from him as time dragged on and every contraction forced more spilled energon out and around the sparkling stuck in his channel. Something was torn, that much was clear as warnings flashed on his HUD._ _ _ _

____First Aid managed to push a single fingertip inside the valve and alongside the trapped sparkling. It was just enough._ _ _ _

____The second sparkling splashed out onto the berth in a rush of fluid. Unlike the first, this one immediately released an angry shriek as Windblade dove in and scooped it up off of the sodden blankets. The sound drew Wheeljack’s attention and he raised his helm, worried that one of his sparklings was being harmed._ _ _ _

____This sparkling was another flight frame, bigger than the first one. It flailed its limbs angrily as Windblade tried to dry the worst of the fluids from is body. Wheeljack almost chuckled when the tiny creature swatted at the Camien and actually hissed at her, refusing to cooperate. The disgruntled little one had blue and white plating with red accents. Strong winglets flapped on his back as he delivered another well-aimed blow to Windblade’s chest. The femme glared down at the sparkling who proceeded to turn brilliant blue optics on Wheeljack. Seeing its sire, the little flyer scrambled harder in the poor femme’s arms as he tried to get away._ _ _ _

____Upon seeing the second little one in the safety of Windblade’s arms, Wheeljack immediately returned his attention to Starscream, their first born still cradled to the scientist’s chest. “One more, sweetspark, give me one more-“_ _ _ _

____Down the berth, Ratchet dosed the seeker with a pain dampener and started a drip in the jet’s arm. Judging by the growing puddle on the berth, Starscream was loosing far more energon than was safe. The best that they could do at the moment was minimize the pain and try to keep his strength up for the final sparkling-_ _ _ _

____With no warning at all, Starscream gave a final heave. The third sparkling, far smaller than the first two, slipped from his channel and onto the berth._ _ _ _

____Ratchet and First Aid didn’t move for several kliks, too shocked by the sudden emergence to move. Wheeljack looked up when silence filled the room._ _ _ _

____The third sparkling was still, unmoving. It was far smaller than either of its siblings and appeared to be severely underdeveloped._ _ _ _

____As one, the medics swooped into action. Ratchet lifted the tiny, limp sparkling in one hand. It fit easily in his palm as the former CMO immediately began trying to revive it. First Aid reached into the box before he looked at Wheeljack. “Turn his face away. Starscream doesn’t need to see this.”_ _ _ _

____“Doesn’t need to see what?” The seeker had lifted his helm and was trying to see the sparkling in Ratchet’s hands._ _ _ _

____Wheeljack reached around his mate’s helm with his free hand and guided Starscream’s gaze back to the sparkling in his arms. “Just look at me. No matter what you hear, look at me-“_ _ _ _

____The scientist then saw what First Aid pulled from the box. Spark cables. For restarting a flatlining spark. This set was small enough for usage on a newborn sparkling._ _ _ _

____Starscream saw the look of sorrow pass over his mate’s face. “Where’s my sparkling?”_ _ _ _

____“They’re working on it, don’t worry.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s dead isn’t it?”_ _ _ _

____Before the speedster could answer, he saw Ratchet lay the third sparkling flat on the far end of the berth. It was so small, so lifeless in First Aid’s hands as the medic somehow managed to get the cords attached to the spark chamber inside._ _ _ _

____When Ratchet activated the machine, he watched the tiny body jerk as current passed through its delicate frame. The sight pulled a sob from Wheeljack’s throat and he couldn’t watch as First Aid checked for a pulse and nodded to the other medic for a second shock._ _ _ _

____The scientist pressed his forehelm against his mate’s, but he wasn’t spared the sound of electricity zapping through his beloved little creation. He could feel Starscream trembling against him. He knew that the seeker was also hearing the sizzle of charge as it ravaged their stillborn sparkling’s body. As a third round of charge was called out by First Aid, Wheeljack found himself begging for Primus' mercy, begging for it to end-_ _ _ _

____And a thin wail cut the air._ _ _ _

____“Yes! There you are!” Ratchet’s voice had never sounded so unguardedly happy in all the time that Wheeljack had known him. The old ambulance’s voice was full of relief as he continued. “There, there. That’s it. Vent for me, sweetspark. There you go.”_ _ _ _

____The scientist pulled back from his mate and looked up._ _ _ _

____Ratchet stood hunching over the end of the berth, completely swallowing the form of the sparkling with his shadow. The old medic was hurriedly rubbing at the tiny creature’s plating, drawing color into the gray little chassis._ _ _ _

____It’s plating was rapidly turning white with green and red accents, just like Wheeljack’s own armor. As life began to stir in the twitching sparkling, the scientist recognized the telltale characteristics of a grounder frame, slender enough in body type to be a speedster just like himself._ _ _ _

____Ratchet picked up the sparkling, still rubbing it gently as he wrapped it in a blanket between his palms. A quick connection to the little one’s medical port brought a smile the former CMO’s stern face. “A little femmeling.”_ _ _ _

____Wheeljack held out his own sparkling. Ratchet plugged into its diagnostic port briefly before grinning again. “Another femmeling. It’s very rare to have one. Two is unheard of. But a femmeling flight frame? It should’ve been impossible with such odds.” Turning to check the squealing blue sparkling in Windblade’s grip, the old medic identified it as a strong little mechling._ _ _ _

____While Ratchet and First Aid turned away to continue stabilizing the smallest femmeling, Windblade stepped forward to lay the blue mechling in its carrier’s arms. “He’s not a fan of me if you couldn’t tell.”_ _ _ _

____Starscream gripped his offspring as tightly as he could in his weakened state. Immediately sensing his carrier’s presence, the mechling nuzzled underneath Starscream’s chin, settling down immediately. Within a few kliks, he was recharging quietly, his tiny talons flexing against his creator’s plating._ _ _ _

____The scarlet femmeling in Wheeljack’s arms surveyed the room with intelligent optics, taking in everything that was going on. She was extremely alert for having just been born, already seeming to understand her sire’s words as he doted over her, kissing her helm vents. The tiny flyer shivered as he petted her winglets and Wheeljack watched the little nubs stretch and flutter under his gentle touch._ _ _ _

____Her bright violet optics blinked up at him as exhaustion drew a yawn from her. As she opened wide, the scientist spotted the needle sharp fangs in her intake. “My, my, what sharp denta you have.” She batted her distinctive optics a few more times before curling up and falling into recharge, her sire’s spark spinning with a soft hum under the plating pressed against her cheek._ _ _ _

____Ratchet observed silently as the ex-Wrecker gazed down at his tiny recharging daughter. On the berth, Starscream agreed to let First Aid suture his torn channel wall only if he got to keep the blue mechling in his arms. Grumbling but relenting, the medic gave the seeker a numbing agent and went about cleaning and repairing the damaged valve. Though it had bled profusely at first, the flow had begun to ease up._ _ _ _

____When Starscream thought no one was looking, he lifted his son to place a careful kiss to one of the sensitive winglet tips. Ratchet smiled as the blue mechling flicked said wing and promptly slapped his carrier in the face. Instead of being angry or annoyed, Starscream held the sparkling to his face again and tucked it under his chin. Slowly, both carrier and sparkling fell into a much needed recharge._ _ _ _

____The old medic looked down at the femmeling in his hands, surprised to find a pair of blue optics looking back at him. She kicked weakly, her tiny peds pinwheeling in the air as she gurgled happily. Like she hadn’t been dead just kliks earlier. Ratchet couldn’t resist lifting the little miracle to his faceplates, feeling her giggle as she reached for his forehelm chevron. “You’ve no idea how lucky you are, little one. Or how loved.”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries in the corner* don't look at me anyone


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting a new job so posting might be slower :(

“It was likely caused by the trauma that the newspark experienced during separation. If I’m correct, the little mechling was the frame already build because he is the most mature. When the newspark splintered under the stress of separation, your forge hurried to build two more frames to account for it. It’s part of the reason that the second femmeling is so much smaller and underdeveloped.”

Ratchet, having finished his explanation, turned back to the tiny third born and stroked a finger over her winglets. She lay on her front in his palm, barely awake even when he jostled her. The sparkling lifted her helm to look at him through tired optics before resting back flat against his palm. 

Wheeljack studied his tiniest creation with no small amount of anxiety. “Will she make it? She’s so weak…” His vocalizer started to choke with static and he looked away from his fragile daughter, struggling visibly.

The old medic reached his free hand forward to rest it against Wheeljack’s arm. “She’s far better than she was during emergence. If I know one thing about this little femmeling, it’s that she’s a fighter.”

The spent sire could only nod as he took his creation into his palms, careful not to jostle the tubes attached to her. Unlike her brother and sister, she’d been unable to refuel properly. Even Wheeljack’s spark energy had been too much for her to handle. As a result, the femmeling had had to go through the discomfort of having feeding tubes inserted directly into her tiny fuel tank through the side of her chassis. Her middle had been carefully wrapped so that the feeding tube couldn’t easily be pulled out.

Another series of tubes and wires helped the underdeveloped sparkling vent, aiding her fans as they cycled air through her tiny engine. She would be a speedster after all and her engine, despite its size, was the most powerful thing within her slight frame. She’d quickly developed a habit of revving her engine whenever she was close to Ratchet. It was no secret that she’d won over the grumpy old medic’s spark.

As Wheeljack lay his daughter down in the makeshift incubator, he turned back to the rest of his family across the room.

Starscream, following the emergence, had suffered some severe injuries to his internal components and his spark. Soon after falling into recharge with their only son in his arms, the seeker had gone into forced stasis. Wheeljack would never forget the sound as the medics pulled the wailing mechling from his carrier’s limp arms. It had taken significant effort on the part of both medics to restore Starscream to a more stable state.

Now, the carrier rested in a medically induced recharge, occasionally blinking foggy optics up at Wheeljack before falling back into oblivion once more. The mechling remained nestled into the red mech’s side, unhappy if he was anywhere else. He was currently curled up in the crook of Starscream’s left arm, happily feeding from a bottle. His sister, the red femmeling, was busy with her own bottle where she sat upright between her carrier’s peds. Wheeljack sighed as she dug her tiny fangs into the bottle, effectively shredding the top of it beyond repair. 

As Starscream hadn’t been strong enough to feed the sparkling’s himself yet, Ratchet had activated his own fuel processing unit in order to feed the growing sparklings. If Wheeljack had been able to feed his hungry brood, he would’ve happily done so. But only a forged medic or the carrier could provide the carefully processed fuel that sparkling’s needed.

However, it by no means meant that Wheeljack was off the hook. Sparklings also required spark exposure regularly as they gained energy and grew stronger. Throughout the carrying process, the carrier and sire were expected to merge regularly in order to strengthen the newspark and its frame. Upon emergence, the sire was expected to continue providing spark energy to the sparkling while the carrier’s own spark recovered from the ordeal.

Wheeljack bent over his mate and delivered a kiss to the seeker’s forehelm. Starscream scrunched his nasal bridge in response and shifted onto his side curled around the purring blue mechling.

Wheeljack felt a scuffling against his abdominal plates. The red flyer, his first born, was clawing at his armor with her tiny talons. She looked up at him with a questioning peep before continuing to dig at his plating. “What is it, little one?”

As if she was trying to answer, the femmeling turned her big violet optics up to him once more, chirring softly. Her little fist landed twice on his chest, wordlessly demanding that Wheeljack bare her his spark. “Alright, alright, hang on.”

The femmeling fluttered her wings excitedly as the scientist cued his chest plates to open. She blinked up at him as the spark’s light fell over her tiny chassis. As Wheeljack lifted her under the arms, the red femmeling tittered happily, flaring her little winglets wide as she basked in her sire’s spark glow.

Wheeljack looked down at his beloved first born and watched her tiny chest plates part. Though her spark light was nowhere near as powerful as his own, his daughter’s spark still shown brightly as her chest plating folded away. A slender wisp of living light reached out from the femmeling’s spark, searching for her sire’s. Wheeljack held her closer until a tendril from his own spark could connect with hers.

Unlike when he and Starscream merged, the scientist felt a wave of exhaustion as his creation fed off of his spark energy, using it to nourish her own developing spark and body. He balanced her with a hand under her bottom and used his other to gently pet her dainty winglets. Not only was she born a flight frame, but the cant of her growing winglets suggested that she would be a jet like her carrier. 

“Wheeljack?”

Starscream was stirring in the berth and his optics soon turned toward Wheeljack, clear for the first time in cycles. The red mech’s gaze soon landed on the femmeling still syphoning energy from his mate’s spark. “How are they?”

“Everyone is good so far. Number three is fighting hard and Ratchet says she’s doing better.” 

“They need designations.”

“I wanted to wait ‘til you came ‘round.”

Starscream shifted, feeling the weight of the blue mechling cradled in the crook of his arm. Feeling its carrier move, the blue sparkling aroused almost immediately and sat up. It’s blue winglet’s twitched rapidly, using the delicate sensory net that covered each appendage to read his surroundings. Apparently finding nothing suspicious, the flyer turned bright blue optics on his sire. He made a small trilling noise upon seeing Wheeljack and crawled out of Starscream’s arms and toward the scientist.

The red femmeling pulled away from her creator’s spark and yawning sleepily before looking down at her brother. She hissed quietly when her bigger sibling attempted to scale Wheeljack’s side. “Ah, ah, now. None of that. We gotta take turns.”

Wheeljack dislodged the red flyer from his side and deposited her on the berth, waiting until she’d made it to her carrier before he picked up her younger sibling. As the scientist held his only son up to his spark, he looked back to his drowsy conjunx. “How you feelin’?”

“Better. Sore though. Where’s the racer?”

“Ratchet has her. He’s kinda smitten with our little grounder if you ask me.”

The jet didn’t smile as he rolled onto his back and lifted the scarlet femmeling up onto his chest plates. She looked down at him with round optics before reaching forward and poking at Starscream’s mouth. The oldest flyer pushed up the corners of her carrier’s mouth, squishing Starscream’s lips into a smile. The seeker lifted an optical ridge as he regarded his creation and she giggled at his non-plussed expression. 

Wheeljack sighed as he continued sharing his spark energy with his creation, feeling himself begin to shake slightly with exertion. The mechling continued drawing from his energy reserves and the scientist allowed his optics to slide shut as he enjoyed the sensation. He hadn’t even realized that he’d begun to slip until he heard Starscream’s panicked voice from far away. “Wheeljack? What are you-”

The scientist barely had time to deposit the mechling on the berth before he slumped forward face first. Darkness closed over him before he hit the covers.


	17. Chapter 17

“Wake up! Slag it- Ratchet! Ratchet!”

Wheeljack could remember blacking out several times during the war. There had been a few times when he had collapsed from energon deprivation. More often than not, he woke up in the medbay as a result of his experiments blowing up in his face. The worst time he’d woken up in the medbay had been when he’d come online to find that he no longer had his mouth. 

He could still remember that cycle, waking up and being handed a mirror. His denta had been broken, crushed inward, rendering his vocalizer useless. It had taken some time for the field medics to clear all the shards of his denta from the intricate components. His lips had been completely destroyed, his mouth nothing but a gaping hole in his face-

“Wheeljack, please-“

“What in the Pit happened?” The sound of Ratchet talking nearby brought the scientist further online. 

A shrill voice answered the medic, staticky and broken in it’s distress. “He was spark fueling Storm and he just- he just-“  
Wheeljack could hear scuffling nearby. Slowly, he registered that he lay slumped sideways with his face pushed into something soft.

“Slagging idiot-”

Strong hands took ahold of the speedster’s shoulders then and lifted him up off of his front. Before Wheeljack could process what was happening, he found himself laying on his back face-to-face with the most fearsome medic he’d ever met. He rebooted his vocalizer twice before he managed a few halting glyphs. “Hey, Ratch.”

Ratchet didn’t give him time to speak another word. “Why would you try to spark fuel two sparklings back to back? Do you understand how dangerous that is?”

“Uh… no?”

Grumbling, the former CMO released Wheeljack’s shoulders and stepped away to rummage around in his medical kit. “You’re lucky you didn’t actually damage something.” The ambulance turned and looked at someone to his right. “How’s the mechling?”

The pillow under Wheeljack’s helm moved and he realized that his helm rested on someone’s legs. The owner of those legs shifted as a voice came from further up the berth. “How should I know? Why don’t you check him yourself, medic?”

“Because I’m dealing with his idiot sire.”

Meanwhile, the scientist blinked slowly, trying to get his bearings as he remembered what had happened. A quiet sniffing sound came from further up the berth and he managed to turn his helm toward the source of the noise.

Four sets of optics were on him, watching intently as Ratchet reappeared over him. Wheeljack didn’t look away from the gazes of his three sparklings and his mate as the eternally pissed off medic triggered open his chest plates. Even the tingle of the running diagnostic didn’t pull the scientist’s attention away from his little family. “’S-Storm’?”

“Yes. I was thinking of designations.” Starscream’s optics were glassy as the seeker continued to calm himself after the scare. He looked away from his mate and down at their creations, still trying to compose himself.

“Just ‘Storm’?”

“No. I hadn’t thought of the rest. You interrupted me by keeling over on your face.”

Wheeljack suppressed a laugh when he caught sight of Ratchet glaring at him. “What h-happened exactly?”

“Your spark energy dipped too low and forced a hard reboot of your systems.” The former CMO paused to send a comm. before reaching and lifting Wheeljack into a sitting position. “You _never _spark fuel two sparklings at once. You slagging wait a while before the second one and then even longer when the third is ready. This is a rare case with having more than one creation at once, but that does not mean that your spark has changed to accommodate the circumstances.”__

__Wheeljack wobbled slightly where he sat on the berth’s edge and he clumsily pushed his chest plating closed over his spark. It took him a few moments before he met Starscream’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”_ _

__“I wasn’t scared?”_ _

__“Of course you weren’t.”_ _

__Starscream rolled his still-wet optics just as First Aid knocked and entered the berthroom. Ratchet pulled him aside and they began to review the spark diagnostic in hushed tones. Wheeljack watched them for a few moments longer before a loud beep drew his attention back to the berth._ _

__The seeker looked away from his mate, down at the rowdy blue sparkling on the berth at his side. The mechling had pounced on his sister while she’d been watching their exchange. Screeching angrily at him, the red femmeling twisted around and swung at him, claws outstretched. With a noise of amusement, Wheeljack reached and caught her hand mid-swing. “You’ve been thinkin’ of names?”_ _

__“A little. What do you think of Stormglide for the mechling? His blue chassis reminds me of Thundercracker. I thought something weather-related was appropriate.”_ _

__Wheeljack studied his mate for moment before looking down at his son, now playing nicely with his sibling. Starscream had told him long ago of the sparkling that Thundercracker had lost during the war. Looking at the blue seekerling pestering his sister, the scientist wondered if his mate saw a little of both his former trinemates in their creation. “I like it. What about Stormstreaker? Flows a little smoother, don’t you think?”_ _

__“Hmm. Stormstreaker?”_ _

__Both sparklings froze in their play. The blue mechling chirred questioningly when he noticed the attention on himself. Wheeljack leant down and kissed at his only son’s helm. “Is your designation Stormstreaker?” The biggest of his creations let out a happy trill and reached for his sire’s helm fins, his laughter high pitched like the wind chime out on the balcony. The scientist pulled his newly-named creation into his lap. “I think he likes it, Star!”_ _

__Starscream regarded the blue mechling for a moment longer before tweaking the femmeling’s wingtip. She spun around, expecting it to be her brother again. Her plating had been fluffed up threateningly until she saw that it was her carrier teasing her. “Any ideas for this one?”_ _

__Wheeljack smiled down at his mate. His optics trailed slowly down Starscream’s chassis, taking in the seeker’s curves and lines. Even though the emergence had taken place many cycles prior, Starscream’s torso would remain swollen until the more malleable tissue had recovered. As Wheeljack gazed down at the berth where his conjunx and two remaining sparkling’s rested, he knew that he’d never seen something so gloriously beautiful in all his existence. “I’m thinkin’ something like your name. What about Nightfire?”_ _

__“How is that like mine at all?”_ _

__“Well, aren’t stars balls of fire in the night sky?”_ _

__The seeker sighed with exasperation, but Wheeljack saw the pink tint to his cheeks. “Why are you like this?”_ _

__“Like what?”_ _

__“Like… nevermind. I suppose it will do. Nightfire?” At the sound of her new designation, the alert little femmeling turned to look at Starscream, winglets flaring as she sat at attention. “Well then. That’s decided.”_ _

__“Stormstreaker and Nightfire.” Already recognizing their names, the two sparklings made soft little calls to their sire, letting him know that they’d heard his summons. The calls were trilling and soprano, distinctly created by young seekerlings as they called for their creators. It was music to Wheeljack’s audials._ _

__“Hopefully you haven’t forgotten someone.”_ _

__Wheeljack directed his attention to the smallest of the brood, sitting primly on the pillow beside her carrier’s helm. She watched as Nightfire tried to drag her brother from Wheeljack’s lap. Having none of it, Stormstreaker hissed and squalled before leaping down on top of her. The red femmeling shrieked a giggle and the sound made the tiny third sparkling flinch against Starscream’s helm._ _

__The seeker lifted his hand to gently pry the cowering sparkling from where she’d latched onto his helm vents. The femmeling didn’t resist as she was lifted up and placed in Wheeljack’s waiting palms. He cupped his hands around her little body, shielding her from her rambunctious siblings as he peppered her frame with kisses. Eventually, she relaxed and released a rev of her little engine, purring as her sire laved her with attention._ _

__She looked so much like him. Her tiny helm tilted back as she looked up to him, unguarded trust and love in her pure field. Wheeljack promised himself then that he would protect this fragile life even if it did cost him his own._ _

__The tiny white femmeling reached out and touched her sire’s scarred mouth, keeping her fingers on his lips as he spoke. “What’s your name, my little miracle?”_ _

__She blinked up at him, focusing on her own hand as it covered the old injuries of Wheeljack’s face. Without warning, she stretched up from where she sat in her sire’s palms and, keeping her hands on the corners of her creator’s mouth, pressed a clumsy kiss to Wheeljack’s mangled lips._ _

__Wheeljack froze in place as his youngest returned the kisses that he’d given her, one by one. She kept her dainty fingers splayed on his cheeks to balance herself as she stood in his hands, her little legs straining under her own weight. The scientist couldn’t move as his precious creation, his sparkling who had been stillborn, blessed him with a series of sloppy kisses across the warped, ruined metal that made up his mouth._ _

__He was so used to hiding his deformity in public. But here was this innocent creature who loved him without question, kissing the scars over and over like there was nothing wrong with them at all._ _

__She only stopped when a sob escaped her sire’s intake. The white sparkling stood back, chirring with worry when she saw the tears in her sire’s optics. Wheeljack was so overwhelmed that he could barely form words as he pulled the femmeling to his neck cables, cradling her there as he whispered. “I love you, too. I love you so much.”_ _

__It took several clicks before the scientist registered the silence that had settled over the berthroom. He looked up to find Ratchet and First Aid watching the exchange, the diagnostic results in their hands long forgotten. On the berth, Starscream’s optics were the softest that Wheeljack had ever seen as he gazed at his mate and their creation._ _

__In the doorway beyond the berth, the white mech could barely make out the form of Windblade peeking in. The femme was grinning broadly and shaking her helm. Wheeljack knew that she’d seen the exchange between creator and sparkling. He blinked to clear away the tears and by the time he looked to the door again she was gone, the door closing softly in her wake._ _

__“What about Eclipse?”_ _

__Wheeljack turned his attention back to the seeker on the berth. “I like it. Why’d you pick that?”_ _

__Starscream reached to pull Nightfire away from the berth’s edge. “I don’t know. It just seems right for her. She came back to us. Like the sun after an eclipse.”_ _

__The scientist continued to hold the little one to his throat. “Do you like that? Eclipse?” He felt another sloppy kiss meet his neck cables in answer, followed by the soft sound of a tiny engine idling in recharge. Wheeljack felt his youngest’s field fall still around him as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. “I think that it’s perfect for her.”_ _

__On the berth, Starscream nodded before looking down at Stormstreaker and Nightfire. The pair had finally ceased fighting and had collapsed into a heap, recharging soundly by their carrier’s side. As Wheeljack shifted closer to rest their sibling on Stasrcream’s chest plates, Nightfire roused slightly. Seeing her sister, she peeped at the smaller femmeling._ _

__Eclipse opened her optics and answered the seeklering’s greeting with a short rev of her engine. Starscream and Wheeljack watched as Nightfire reached up to her._ _

__Sliding off of her carrier’s chassis, Eclipse soon found herself sandwiched between her bigger siblings. Stormstreaker purred softly as he pulled his smaller sister against his chest and Nightfire settled on Eclipse’s other side. The sight of the bigger sparklings uniting to protect their smaller littermate brought relief to Wheeljack’s lagging processor._ _

__“Well. We’d best comm. the Lost Light with the new developments.” Ratchet cleared his vocalizer as he packed away the medical box. First Aid had already departed, receiving word of a possible emergency on the ship._ _

__The old medic extended his hand and Wheeljack took it, squeezing it tightly in thanks. “If you have any questions, feel free to call me. I’ve already contacted a physician that I trust. You WILL see him regularly.”_ _

__“Yeah, Ratch. Lesson learned.”_ _

__Ratchet snorted as he left. “Doubt it. Good luck you two.”_ _

__As the medic closed the door behind himself, Wheeljack looked back down at his family. The three sparklings were all cuddled together, venting in sync as they recharged. They were so beautiful. Just the sight of them caused a certain tightness in the scientist’s throat._ _

__And then he connected optics with Starscream._ _

__The seeker was actually smiling at him, a foreign contentment in his field as he regarded his mate. Wheeljack felt a deep surge of adoration for the red jet and he couldn’t resist bending forward to push a needy kiss against Starscream’s mouth. It was a kiss unlike any other that they’d shared, full of deep, unrivaled devotion.  
Starscream was the first to pull away, his optics a little wild as he took a shallow vent. “Wheeljack, I- I-“_ _

__“You don’t gotta say it, Star. I already know.” It was so clear in his mate’s field as the scientist leant forward and kissed the stunning seeker again._ _

__Once more, Starscream pulled back. There something in his optics right then, something that the scientist had never seen before as their sparklings recharged between them. “I want to say it, Wheeljack. I need to.”_ _

__When he finally did, it was soft, the glyphs almost silently shaped on his lips. “I love you.”_ _

__The scientist felt his spark swell to bursting as he cupped his mate’s heated cheek in his hand. The uncertainty in Starscream’s field vanished at last as Wheeljack whispered quietly against his mouth, their lips brushing as he spoke. “I love you too, Star.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading! I'll be starting another installation of this series soon :) Same universe as Fiducia, Contritus and Initium!


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